LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – California health officials on Friday introduced new rules allowing Disneyland and other theme parks, stadiums and outdoor venues to reopen as early as April 1, following a nearly year-long closure due to the coronavirus pandemic .
But the return of Mickey Mouse to the “Happiest Place on Earth” and lively spectators to the California ball parks of America’s favorite pastime still holds great reservations.
Theme and amusement parks could start again on April 1 with very limited capacity, but only if the provinces where they operate are removed from the ‘purple’ level of California’s color-coded COVID-19 restrictions, the strictest classification of the system.
Masks and other security measures would still be needed, and the parks would initially be open only to state residents. Attendance would range from 15% to 35% of normal capacity.
Outdoor stadiums, ball parks and performance arenas will also be allowed from April 1 to welcome live audiences back, albeit at a fraction of the maximum seating and subject to the same limited system.
The first time for the Major League Baseball games will be muted in Southern California, with no more than 100 spectators allowed in venues in purple provinces.
This will include the stadiums of the Los Angeles Dodgers, the San Diego Padres and the Anaheim Angels. San Francisco and Oakland, home to the Giants and Athletics, respectively, are currently listed as red, which would limit seating to 20%.
MAKING THE RULES
The changes in California, a leading U.S. hub of the pandemic during a year-long holiday boom of cases that have stretched health care systems to the breaking point, come as the infection rate across the country slows and vaccinations increase.
But state health officials approached a cautious reopening as Governor Gavin Newsom came under increasing political pressure, including the threat of a by-election, to ease restrictions on the state’s social and economic life.
Disneyland, based in Anaheim, Walt Disney Co., is in the heart of Orange County, which like the neighboring counties of Los Angeles and San Diego has remained purple for months, indicating the incidence of COVID-19 cases and infection rates. dangerously high.
Newsom on Thursday announced a “modest relaxation” of definitions by informing the growing number of vaccinations within vulnerable communities.
This will allow press-designated provinces, for example, to move faster to the red level, where previously it was ordered to close amusement and theme parks.
Friday’s announcement means that theme parks in provinces with a red destination could reopen on April 1 with 15% capacity. The less restricted orange and yellow levels will allow for reopening by 25% and 35% respectively.
Ken Potrock, president of Disneyland Resort, said in a statement that the decision means “thousands of people need to get back to work and to help neighboring businesses and our entire community a lot.”
But it remained unclear whether rising vaccinations and declining COVID infection rates in the first month next month would be far enough to reach Anaheim. And Potrock did not give a date for the reopening of Disneyland.
Baseball teams in California have issued similar statements to welcome Friday’s announcement and hope that conditions will allow a limited number of fans in stadiums next month.
Disney said in September that it was gathering about 28,000 workers, mostly in U.S. theme parks in California and Florida. Walt Disney World in Florida reopened in July last year with limited capacity.
Dodger Stadium and a Disneyland parking lot are currently being used as mass vaccination sites.
Theme parks such as Disneyland, Universal Studios, Legoland and Knott’s Berry Farm protested strongly last October when health officials in California ruled out reopening their attractions quickly.
Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Edited by Jacqueline Wong and Christian Schmollinger