HALIFAX -- COVID-19 has many people in the Maritimes are wondering how the holiday season will play out.
Thanksgiving is just 12 days away, and with Halloween just a month away, many parents are taking trick-or-treat planning into their own hands.
As COVID-19 cases climb in other parts of the country, some parents are making alternative plans for their children for Halloween.
"Our four-year-old Hendrick and his younger brother Harrison are going to have a Halloween hunt this year," said Perry White. "They'll look for treats high and low, under corners and cobwebs."
Others are playing it by ear, and remain hopeful families will take proper safety precautions so that children can enjoy some normalcy on Halloween night.
"As long as the numbers stay low as they are, kids should be able to go out and trick-or-treat providing they wear their usual fabric masks," said Shannon Woods Crosby of Cole Harbour, N.S.
Earlier this month, Nova Scotia's top doctor said the province is not looking at any Halloween restrictions, but Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Robert Strang encourages households to modify how they give out candy and to practise physical distancing.
Even the Christmas season will look different this year.
Santa has already heard from one mall in Bedford, N.S., and due to COVID-19 concerns he won't be able to pose for photos with children this year.
"I've seen Christmases come and Christmases go -- some through good times, some through bad times," he said. "But this is truly a unique Christmas."
Other malls in the region say they're still working on their Christmas plans, but children don't need to worry.
"I will still be coming to their homes on Christmas Eve and I will still make my deliveries," Santa said.
Meanwhile, public health says it's working on guidance to provide the public ahead of the holiday season.
