Disneyland, Universal Studios, other theme parks and sports stadiums in California could reopen from April 1, the California Department of Public Health said on Friday. But there are caveats: the health department is demanding “significantly reduced capacity, mandatory masking and other public health precautions” due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The number of people allowed in the parks depends on the number of COVID-19 cases in the municipalities where they are located.
For amusement parks, counties at the “red” level of California’s four-level reopening risk system – red is the second highest risk category – will be limited to a frequency of 15% of capacity. In the orange layer, the limit increases to 25% of capacity and in the yellow layer, to 35%. Participation will be restricted to visitors from the state. Disneyland is in Orange County, which is currently at the most risky “purple” level, but local news suggests it may soon fall to the red level.
Outdoor sports and live performance venues in California have a slightly different set of reopening criteria, and some may reopen even if their counties are at the highest risk purple level, but with similar capacity limits.
“With significantly lower case rates and hospitalizations, the arrival of three highly effective vaccines and targeted efforts to vaccinate the most vulnerable communities, California can gradually and safely begin to bring back more activities, especially those that take place on air free and where consistent masking is possible, ”Dr. Mark Ghaly, secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency, said in a statement.
Disneyland closed on March 14, 2020 with cases of coronavirus spreading across the U.S. Disney laid off thousands of theme park employees and suffered a significant financial impact as a result of the closings. In its last fiscal quarter, Disney park division revenue fell 53% to $ 3.6 billion, the company said. The company said during a February call with investors that it estimated “the total net adverse impact of COVID-19 on the segment’s operating revenue in the quarter was approximately $ 2.6 billion”.
Disney World in Florida also closed last March and reopened in July with limited capacity and restrictions. But California has taken a more cautious approach to reversing restrictions on the pandemic than Florida, even as Disney executives pressured California officials to allow theme parks and other locations to reopen.
Ken Potrock, president of Disneyland Resort, said in a statement posted on Twitter that, with the new reopening date, Disneyland “would take thousands of people back to work and help a lot the neighboring companies and our entire community”.