Disneyland Employees and Fans Hold Rally Urging State to Allow Reopening
- by Grant Boone
- in Sports
- — Oct 21, 2020
Ghaly noted that many states across the US are experiencing a new wave of coronavirus cases, but that California isn't now facing an increase.
The unions urged Newsom to direct the state's task force in charge of theme park reopening to meet with them as part of the reopening process.
Walt Disney Co closed Disneyland in March in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Another protest is reportedly planned at Disneyland for a future date. As we all know now, that didn't happen, and the park's opening was postponed. Since then, Disneyland has been waiting for guidelines from the state on how to reopen.
California Health and Human Services secretary Mark Ghaly held a viryual press conference on Tuesday giving on update an the state's plans for theme parks and outdoor sporting events. Counties in the least restrictive tier can have capacity at 25%. For example, if a county reports six cases per 100,000, but a 9% positivity rate, it will be rated purple.
May only open outdoor attractions.
The outrage came after the state released protocols for reopening California theme parks Tuesday, revealing it will still be several weeks before Disneyland in Anaheim, California, can start welcoming guests back to the so-called "Happiest Place on Earth".
Indoor dining and drinking in the parks are also limited to 25 percent. Face coverings are mandatory unless eating or drinking.
May resume in Tier 3 at 20% and in Tier 4 at 25%. Ticket sales will be restricted to customers within a 120-mile radius.
People will only be allowed to eat or drink in their assigned seats.
Finally, tailgating will be prohibited, though parking at the stadium will be required, Ghaly said. Data and science prove that theme parks can operate responsibly anywhere - there is no rational reason to believe they can't do so in California.
On Saturday, Disney lovers rallied outside of the park, with some of them holding signs listing their demands. When the governor refused to budge, the corporate introduced it would lay off greater than 28,000 staff amid the continued pandemic. The layoffs are unquestionably hard news, but as Bradley Pollock, chairman of the Department of Public Health Sciences at UC Davis, told The Los Angeles Times, California Governor Gavin Newsom and his staff are "confronting an extremely hard calculus in determining the size and pace of reopenings".
"If you were to add teenagers in the mix - these are oftentimes young people who may be out socializing - individuals between the ages of 12 and 50 account for fully 68%", she said. "Is it worth it?"