During yesterday’s COVID-19 update and Q&A presser, California Governor Gavin Newsom seemed much more willing to talk about theme parks, even mentioning a team that would assess COVID-19 guidelines at theme parks that are currently open and operating, like Walt Disney World.
In an update issued to the OC Register, it turns out Newsom’s strike team has already visited the theme parks—in fact, they were there just last week. California Health and Human Services Agency spokesperson Kate Folmar issued a statement regarding the visits:
We sent health officials to open and operating theme parks out of state last week, independently of operators, to assess the health safeguards in practice. These visits will help inform our pending theme park guidance.
California Health and Human Services Agency spokesperson Kate Folmar
After butting heads with theme park giants such as Disney, ultimately leading Bob Iger to quit Newsom’s Economic Recovery Task Force, it seems the Governor is looking to cut out any “intermediaries” and have his administration carry out its own “stubborn research” in order to get a better handle of what they’re being told and what their own concerns are after seeing how the parks are faring.
The state will be providing a further update today on county transmission rates. However, considering that people from all over the world will want to come visit Disneyland and other theme parks in the state, that will require even more nuanced decisions on what to include in reopening guidelines.
Governor Newsom recently stated that California was in “no hurry” to issue theme park reopening dates or guidelines, stating science will guide any announcements on when and how it will be safe to reopen major theme parks.
And CA citizens will be in “no hurry” to vote your butt out of office at your next re-election. Fool.
Let’s hope for some positive news in the future.