Coronavirus NY: Gov. Cuomo announces reopening dates for outdoor, indoor amusement parks

NEW YORK (WABC) — New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced amusement parks in the state will be able to reopen with restrictions in March and April.

Starting March 26, indoor family entertainment centers and amusement parks can reopen at 25% capacity, while outdoor amusement parks may reopen April 9 with 33% capacity.

Face coverings, social distancing, temperature checks, frequent cleaning and disinfections will be enforced.

“Riders attractions that cannot be social distanced or cleaned must remain closed,” Cuomo said.

In addition to face coverings, social distancing and mandatory health screenings, all indoor family and entertainment centers and places of amusement, and outdoor amusement parks, must follow the below guidelines:

– Contact information must be collected from each party to inform contact tracing, if needed
– High-touch areas, attractions, and rides must be cleaned and disinfected frequently throughout the day
– Attractions must close if they cannot ensure distancing and be frequently cleaned/disinfected
– Sufficient staff must be deployed to enforce compliance with rules, including capacity, distancing and face coverings
– Tickets should be sold in advance, and entry/exit and waiting times should be staggered to avoid congestion
– Indoor areas must meet enhanced air filtration, ventilation and purification standards
– Retail, food services and recreational activities must abide by all State-issued guidance

“In New York, we base our decisions on the science and data and adjust as the virus adjusts,” Cuomo said. “With continued decreases in the infection and hospitalization rates, we have been able to take steps toward beginning our post-COVID recovery and we are excited to now be in a place where we can bring back our recreational industries with safety protocols in place. As we’ve said time and time again, our success will be dictated by our actions and as long as we stay united and keep carrying this momentum forward in a positive direction, we will be able to see more and more sectors of our economy reopen.”

The governor added with the current trajectory, the state is planning to reopen overnight summer camps in June as well. All participants will have to go through testing protocols.

“One eye on these variants of interest, but they can plan on reopening,” he said.

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