How to celebrate Halloween safely, according to a doctor

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Can you believe it? It's already October and that means Halloween is right around the corner.

Sunday many children in Alameda started their Halloween celebration early at the Speer Family Farms Pumpkin Patch after limited holiday celebrations last year.

"We stayed at home," says Eduardo Banos who was at the pumpkin patch with his wife and daughter.

RELATED: California to require eligible students in public, private schools be vaccinated against COVID-19

"Last Halloween got cancelled, only some people were trick or treating," says 9-year-old Mohamed Mohammed.

That though is likely to change this year and children we talked with are more than a bit excited about that.

"We never celebrate Halloween and this time my school is going to celebrate it and I want to go there and have a costume. I kind of want to be a guitar player on Halloween," says 10-year-old Muzhgan Bakhdyai.

"Last year we didn't get to go trick-or-treating because of COVID and this year we might get to go trick-or-treating," says 8-year-old Madison Smith-Andrews.

RELATED: Stanford doctor says US has probably peaked in Delta variant COVID surge

While some are still deciding if they will do Halloween, doctors we talked with say it is safe.

"We do know that surfaces are not a big issue with COVID-19, it may be an issue with the common cold, but not with COVID-19, it's thousands of times less risky than the nose and mouth raspatory droplets," says UCSF's Dr. Peter Chin-Hong.

To those wanting to be as safe as possible, Dr. Chin-Hong also recommends vaccination requirements and at-home COVID test requirements before gatherings, although not addressed by the CDC.

RELATED: At-home rapid COVID-19 tests may not be as accurate as PCR tests

"My mom's going to come and my cousins are going to come," says Mohammed.

And parents say they are better prepared this year.

"All of the family vaccinated already," says Banos.

"We're able to cherish these moments a lot more," says Jasmine Smith who was at the pumpkin patch with her kids.

The CDC tells ABC News it will offer holiday safety guidance soon and that guidelines posted on its website Friday and widely reported were not current and have been removed.

VACCINE TRACKER: How California is doing, when you can get a coronavirus vaccine

Having trouble loading the tracker above? Click here to open it in a new window.

RELATED STORIES & VIDEOS:

• Map shows everywhere you can get a COVID-19 test in the Bay Area
• Mask mandates are back in Bay Area, so what's the safest one to wear? Here's what doctor says
• Here's everything you need to know about COVID-19 booster shots
• What we know about the delta variant of COVID-19 following new CDC report
• Lambda and delta plus: What to know about other COVID variants detected in US
• How to show proof of vaccination in San Francisco or anywhere in California
• Should vaccinated people get tested if exposed to COVID-19? CDC explains
• Can a breakthrough infection still lead to long haul COVID-19? San Francisco doctor explains
• CA COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker: See your status here
• These CA counties are way ahead in vaccinations
• Data tracker: Coronavirus cases, deaths, hospitalizations in every Bay Area county
• Get the latest updates on California EDD, stimulus checks, unemployment benefits
• Coronavirus origin: Where did COVID-19 come from?
• What is a COVID-19 genetic, antigen and antibody test?
• What does COVID-19 do to your body and why does it spread so easily?
• Coronavirus Timeline: Tracking major moments of COVID-19 pandemic in San Francisco Bay Area