California gives green light for Disneyland reopening after Covid restrictions shutter theme park for 1 year
Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California is preparing to welcome visitors for the first time in over a year after the iconic theme park was closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
California Health and Human Services Secretary Mark Ghaly announced on Friday that the state’s amusement parks will be permitted to reopen with limited capacity starting on April 1.
“We feel like now is the appropriate time to begin to reintroduce these activities in some fashion, and in a guarded way, in a slow and steady way,” Ghaly said.
Ken Potrock, the president of Disneyland Resort, hailed the decision and said that proper safety protocols would be put in place. Orange County, which is home to the theme park, is currently in the state’s most restrictive reopening tier. However, restrictions are expected to ease in the coming weeks, which would allow for Disneyland to open with 15 percent capacity or more. However, if you’re from out-of-region, it might be too soon to start planning a weekend getaway to the theme park. California residents have been asked not to travel more than 120 miles (193km) from their homes as part of a statewide advisory.
Disneyland properties around the world closed their doors in mid-March following the Covid-19 outbreak. However, the original Anaheim park has taken the longest to reboot operations. Disney’s Florida resort reopened over the summer. The company decided to axe more than 30,000 employees, mostly at its theme parks, as a result of the shutdown.
In January, the Anaheim amusement park was converted into a vaccination ‘super site’ as part of California’s mass inoculation program.
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