Trick-or-treating outside, with right physical distancing and masks can be safe this Halloween: Dr. Theresa Tam

Canada's chief public health officer, Dr. Theresa Tam says trick-or-treating outside, with the right physical distancing and masks, will be safe in most places this Halloween.

Treats could be prepackaged and handed out at the end of a hockey stick to avoid children rummaging through a bowl of goodies.

Dr. Tam says Canadians don't want to see a yo-yoing effect from rounds of openings and closures, citing the need for a sustained rhythm that is more predictable for people.

Marking holidays and celebrations is one way to preserve a sense of normalcy.

But she says Canadians should observe the instructions from local health authorities, who have the best information about what's going on in their communities.

Canada's chief public health officer says there are more than 182,000 cases of COVID-19 in Canada, including more than 9,600 deaths.

Dr. Theresa Tam also says that there are close to 19,000 active cases of the novel coronavirus disease across the country.

She also says about 2.4 per cent of tests in the last week have come back positive. Based on the information available, Ontario and Quebec continue to report the majority of cases.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, sitting alongside Tam at a briefing in Ottawa, says now is the time to double down on fighting the spread of COVID-19, such as by wearing masks and maintaining physical distancing.