California rolls out strict reopening guidelines for Disneyland and other theme parks
Theme parks like Disneyland and Universal Studios Hollywood in Southern California will have to wait until their counties reach the least restrictive tier the state has established for reopening businesses after new guidelines were released Tuesday, CBS Los Angeles reports.
To reach the "minimum" tier, also known as the "yellow" tier, a county must have a seven-day adjusted average of less than one daily case per 100,000 people and a seven-day average positivity rate of less than 2% that does not disproportionately impact disadvantaged populations. Major theme parks will only be allowed to reopen in the yellow tier, and even then, with only 25% capacity and other health restrictions. Smaller theme parks will be able to open outdoor attractions if and when their home counties reach the orange, or "moderate," tier of the reopening roadmap.
The decision to reopen Disneyland, located in the city of Anaheim in Orange County, has been a struggle. Fans, local businesses and employees who need to get back to work have been calling on the Magic Kingdom to reopen, but unions and other workers are calling for more caution before reopening the gates.
Disneyland President Ken Potrock tweeted that the new guidelines ignored the work that the park has put in to reopen safely.
"Together with our labor unions we want to get people back to work, but these State guidelines will keep us shuttered for the foreseeable future, forcing thousands more people out of work, leading to the inevitable closure of small family-owned businesses, and irreparably devastating the Anaheim/Southern California community," Potrock said in his statement.
In spite of the push and pull, Orange County has already moved from the most restrictive "widespread" purple tier into the red "substantial" tier. If its numbers continue to improve, it could move into the orange tier very soon, according to CBS LA.
New guidelines were also issued for sporting events at outdoor stadiums. Some sports can resume once their county moves into the orange tier, but capacity will be limited to 20%. Once a county improves to the yellow tier, capacity can go up to 25%.
Ticket sales at these venues will be restricted to customers within a 120-mile radius, and must be purchased in advance. Venues will not be allowed to sell tickets on the day of an event, and eating and drinking must be done in assigned seats.
Masks will be required when not eating or drinking, and tailgating at sports events will not be allowed.