LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – California health officials set new rules Friday that would allow the reopening of Disneyland and other theme parks, stadiums and outdoor entertainment venues as early as April 1, following a closure of nearly a year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
But Mickey Mouse’s return to “the happiest place on earth” and live viewers at California’s ball parks, America’s favorite pastime, still come with big warnings.
Amusement and theme parks would be allowed to restart on April 1 with very limited capacity, but only if the counties where they operate are removed from the “purple” level of the color-coded COVID-19 restrictions in California, the stricter classification of the system.
Masks and other security measures would still be needed, and the parks would initially only be open to residents of the state. Attendance would range from 15% to 35% of normal capacity.
Outdoor stadiums, dance parks and performance venues could also welcome the public live from 1 April, although at a fraction of the maximum number of seats and subject to the same level constraint system.
Participation in opening days of major baseball league games would be turned off in Southern California, with no more than 100 spectators allowed at venues located in Violet County counties.
This would include the stadiums of the Los Angeles Dodgers, the San Diego Padres and the Anaheim Angels. San Francisco and Oakland, home of the Giants and Athletics, respectively, are currently designated as red, which would limit capacity by 20%.
FACILITY OF THE RULES
Changes in California, one of the main American epicenters of the pandemic during a wave of end-of-year holiday cases that strained health care systems to the point of rupture, occur as the rate of infections in the whole country has shrunk and vaccinations are increasing.
But state health officials have drawn a cautious approach to reopening, even as Governor Gavin Newsom has come under increasing political pressure, including the threat of withdrawal elections, to relax restrictions on the social and economic life of the state.
Disneyland, located in Anaheim, at Walt Disney Co., is located in the heart of Orange County, which, like neighboring Los Angeles and San Diego counties, has remained purple for months, indicating that the prevalence of COVID-19 cases and infection rates are dangerously high.
On Thursday, Newsom announced a “modest loosening” of level definitions, given the growing vaccination of vulnerable communities.
This would allow designated purple counties, for example, to progress more rapidly to the red level, where amusement parks and theme parks had previously been ordered to close.
Friday’s announcement means theme parks in red zone counties could reopen with a 15% capacity on April 1st. The less restrictive orange and yellow levels would allow reopenings with a capacity of 25% and 35%, respectively.
Ken Potrock, president of Disneyland Resort, said in a statement that the decision meant “re-employing thousands of people and greatly helping neighboring businesses and our entire community.”
But it was still unclear whether rising vaccinations and declining COVID infection rates would go far enough for Anaheim to go red the first of next month. And Potrock did not give a date for the reopening of Disneyland.
California-based baseball teams issued similar statements welcoming Friday’s announcement and hoping that conditions will allow a limited number of fans at the stadiums next month.
Disney in September said it employed about 28,000 workers, mostly for its U.S. theme parks in California and Florida. Walt Disney World in Florida reopened last July with limited capacity.
Dodger Stadium and a Disneyland car park are currently used as mass vaccination sites.
Theme parks like Disneyland, Universal Studios, Legoland and Knott’s Berry Farm protested strongly last October when California health officials ruled out any speedy reopening of its attractions.
Reports by Jill Serjeant; Edited by Jacqueline Wong and Christian Schmollinger