The state of California has announced that stadiums, theme parks and outdoor concerts can begin reopening as early as April 1 officials said yesterday. The reopening will still follow the COVID-19 restrictions.
The beginning of the reopening start with venues being able to operate at a reduced capacity, mandatory masking and other public health precautions. As far as the capacity limitations go, they will be based on where each venue falls in the state’s “Blueprint for Safer Economy.”
They have been separated into several tiers. Outdoor sports and live concerts tiers include Purple tier, which is limited to 100 people or less and only allows visitors from the specific region, Red tier is limited to 20 percent and will allow concessions but while seated and will only allow in-state visitors, Orange tier is limited to 33 percent and will only allow in-state visitors, Yellow tier will be limited to 67 percent and allow only in-state visitors. Theme parks tiers include red tier, which is limited to 15 percent capacity and will only allow in-state visitors, Orange tier will be limited to 25 percent capacity, and Yellow tier will be limited to 35 percent and will also only allow in-state visitors.
Various areas in the state have already been separated into their prospective tiers. The Los Angeles area is in the purple tier, San Francisco is in the red tier, Alameda county is in the Purple tier and San Diego is in the Purple tier.
Earlier this week, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced that he planned to lift COVID-19 restrictions starting March 10. He made his announcement on March 2 and said “Covid has not suddenly disappeared… It is now time to open Texas 100 percent.”
As of October 2020, some popular venues in the Texas area such as Barracuda and The Continental Club remain closed until further notice. Other bars throughout the state are able to open at 50 percent capacity as long as they continue to follow safety protocol. The bars also must stop serving alcohol at 11 p.m.
Performing arts halls in Texas are also allowed to open at 75 percent capacity with the same conditions. Employees must be screened and seating must be socially distant, while hand sanitizer should be made readily available to all visitors.
New York has also made some changes to their COVID restrictions also. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has moved to reopen music venues at 33 percent starting April 2. The announcement came shortly after President Biden’s announcement to make COVID vaccines available for the entire American population.
In New York, large stadiums that carry 10,000 people will now open at 10 percent capacity for sports and music performances. The arenas will still have to follow the covid restrictions including mandatory mask-wearing and seating must be socially distanced.
With the reopening plan in California, theme parks like Six Flags Magic Mountain and Disneyland will also reopen. “Our Disney cast members are heartened by this good news today that the Disney parks will be reopening in a month,” said Andrea Zinder, the president of United Food and Commercial Worker Local 324.
A spokesman for Six Flags shared a statement saying “We are pleased by the governor’s announcement and eager to welcome our guests back to Six Flags Magic Mountain with a full complement of our world-class coasters in a safe, outdoor environment. An official opening date will be posted on our website and social channels in the near future.”
To get a better understanding of the tiers and what they mean for activities in said areas, check out the chart here.
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