California theme parks, stadiums to reopen

Theme parks, including Disneyland and Universal Studios, two of the most visited tourist attractions in Southern California, have been closed since March 2020 amid coronavirus fears, reports Xinhua news agency. 

According to the updates of the state's Blueprint to a Safer Economy unveiled by the California Department of Public Health, theme parks in the counties in the most-restrictive purple tier are not allowed to reopen. 

Yet theme parks in the red tier will be eligible to reopen at 15 per cent capacity. 

Maximum capacity will be increased to 25 per cent for theme parks in the counties in the orange tier and to 35 per cent in the yellow tier. 

Public health officials noted that attendance will be limited to in-state visitors. 

Almost all Southern California counties are still in the purple tier, but some of them, including Orange County where Disneyland is located and Los Angeles County where the Universal Studios is, are on track to move into the red tier in the coming weeks as Covid-19 cases and hospitalisations continue to drop in the region. 

In addition, officials said that outdoor sports and live performances with attendees in the state are also eligible to be held on April 1 with consistent face masking. 

Under the new guidelines, in the purple tier, capacity will be limited to 100 people or fewer, and attendance will be limited to regional visitors for outdoor sports and live performances. 

Advanced reservations will be required, and no concession or concourse sales will be allowed. 

In the red tier, capacity will be limited to 20 per cent. 

In the orange tier, capacity will be limited to 33 per cent and in the yellow tier capacity will increase to 67 per cent. 

Attendance will be limited to in-state visitors in the red, orange and yellow tiers.