Anthony Fauci, United States’ top virologist and infectious disease expert, said that it is safe for vaccinated individuals to get for trick or treating on Halloween as cases of COVID-19 have started to show a downward trend.

Dr. Anthony Fauci told CNN’s ‘State of the Union’ Sunday that it’s an important time of year for children, so “go out there” and “enjoy it.”

He added that people wanting to enjoy Halloween on October 31 should consider getting the shots for that “extra degree of protection” if they are not yet vaccinated, giving an extra push to the United States’ inoculation drive.

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COVID-19 vaccines so far have been approved for people 12 years and older. The United States Food and Drug Administration plans a meeting in late October to consider pharmaceutical giant Pfizer’s request for emergency use authorisation of its vaccine for children who are aged between 5 and 11. 

United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention will take the final call on extending the eligibility criteria in the country.

Nationwide, there are about 95,000 new COVID-19 cases a day. Fauci called the downward trend “good news” but cautioned against declaring a premature victory since cases have bounced back in the past.

Fauci, who is also President Joe Biden’s top healthcare advisor, said that daily COVID-19 cases in United States must drop below 10,000 before the country can consider letting go of its restrictions. 

According to a COVID-19 tracker maintained by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, United States has so far recorded 4,42,17,318 cases of the deadly virus, which has killed nearly 7,11,020 in the country so far. 76.4% of eligible people in the country have already been administered with one shot of the vaccine.