Coronavirus: Impact on Theme Parks
- Thread starter JammyH
- Start date
Nicky Borrill
Strata Poster
The trouble with the USA goes back to what I said right at the start of this thread... (regarding my fears for countries like Germany, although they seem to be on top of their test and trace game) Some states both locked down, and eased their restrictions, before they’d really had their first waves... But whilst there was still too much infection to effectively test and trace... This means the virus is still essentially a novel virus in those states, a novel virus with plenty of seeds... Which is when it’s at it’s most dangerous...Take this with whatever interrogation you like (I will stress, I have taken it with basically none - other than acknowledging it's tested cases not hospital admissions or deaths, so important to remember the effect of simple doing more tests), but this chart popped up on Reddit today:
If that isn't a second-wave projection, I'm not sure what is...
If you look at new cases for states like New York and New Jersey they continue to drop in a similar way to Europe, they’ve had their main peak, states that haven’t are prime candidates for second peaks (or first peaks technically, on a local basis)
This IMO is the best news today could have brought... I’ve witnessed first hand how much easier it is for parks to enforce masks than distancing... Honestly I’m totally over the moon
The issue is at the merlin parks though, masks are only required on the rides, and not while waiting for the attractions. That means even though there will only be a 1m+ distance between parties on trains, people will be expected to keep a 2m distance while waiting for attractions in the queue-lines (I know Alton have already laid 2m markers down and they are unlikely to change it). You could end up with a situation like you experienced in the netherlands where the queuelines are chaotic and no one sticks to the rules but then the rules are better enforced once you get on the ride, and if anything I would prefer the other way round as contact time in a queueline is far higher than once on the ride (although I guess most queuelines at merlin parks are outdoors so the risk of transmission must be relatively low anyway).
Drayton manor is the only park so far which have announced different operational measures when it comes to face masks. At Drayton manor, face masks will be required in queuelines, on the rides and in indoor areas, but not in “outdoor common areas” such as the main pathways, so they have taken an approach similar to in Germany. I guess this makes me feel more comfortable than the proposal from the merlin parks.
Not sure about the updated viewpoint from BPB since yesterday’s announcements, and a lot of parks are still yet to announce opening, but as far as I’m aware paultons park and fantasy island do not require face masks, which I assume means they will be leaving 2m gaps on the rides.
Nicky Borrill
Strata Poster
Don’t know if this has been mentioned but the list of businesses that must stay closed is actually very small, with most businesses now permitted to open July 4th...
This includes Funfairs who can now open... I wonder if those later in the year that cancelled early regret that now? And I wonder if this has come in time for those that haven’t cancelled yet, goose fair, winter wonderland etc, to go ahead!!!
It also includes arcades, entertainment centres and “Indoor attractions at aquariums, zoos, safari parks, farms, wildlife centres and any place where animals are exhibited to the public as an attraction.” Which can also open... Good news for Zoos!
www.gov.uk
This includes Funfairs who can now open... I wonder if those later in the year that cancelled early regret that now? And I wonder if this has come in time for those that haven’t cancelled yet, goose fair, winter wonderland etc, to go ahead!!!
It also includes arcades, entertainment centres and “Indoor attractions at aquariums, zoos, safari parks, farms, wildlife centres and any place where animals are exhibited to the public as an attraction.” Which can also open... Good news for Zoos!
Living safely with respiratory infections, including COVID-19
Guidance for living safely with respiratory infections, including coronavirus (COVID-19).
Really thought they were jumping the gun with some of these cancellations recently as were cancelling the Christmas lights turn on festivities in some places. Hopefully Winter Wonderland will go ahead indeed.
Also still think Cameron Mackintosh so easily accepting theatre shows won't go ahead till 2021 is strange.
A lot can and hopefully will change in the next few months.
Nicky Borrill
Strata Poster
We don’t know that for sure yet, as the guidance hasn’t been released for any of the businesses opening on the 4th (media outlets received their copies this morning, but nothing online yet, I keep checking, obviously)
When that guidance is released it may compel them to require masks in more areas. They will certainly be required in most restaurants and bars when not sat at tables if what I’m hearing / reading is true, as they say managing distancing for guests moving around these premises is difficult (something I 100% agree with, and would go further to say it’s impossible.) And you’d have hoped the government will say that also stands for queues at theme parks, where we now know from experience that distancing is impossible to manage. But we’ll have to wait and see...
I really hope they do make masks in queues mandatory, for other people’s sake. As I mentioned in PM, my daughter didn’t really enjoy Walibi because the rules were so lax compared to Germany and France. There will be millions just like her who want to have a good time, but want to feel safe doing it, and I hope that is not spoilt by a lack of safety measures / enforcement in queue lines like in Holland.
Personally doesn’t bother me, I think you’re all a bunch of pansies, who should have been this worried, and practiced distancing, in feb and march, when the time was right to worry ??? (That was tongue in cheek in case anybody doesn’t get that)
BlueSonicHD
Mega Poster
does this graph possibly relate to all the protests going on in the US ? is this what the UK may have coming ?Take this with whatever interrogation you like (I will stress, I have taken it with basically none - other than acknowledging it's tested cases not hospital admissions or deaths, so important to remember the effect of simple doing more tests), but this chart popped up on Reddit today:
If that isn't a second-wave projection, I'm not sure what is...
Nicky Borrill
Strata Poster
No and no... it relates to the states that haven’t had a significant 1st wave yet... the split is on the left... If you look there’s a clear difference between areas that have had that wave (endless decline) and areas that haven’t (The ones with sharp inclines)
Nicky Borrill
Strata Poster
Well I stand corrected, shocked and a little disappointed... The full guidance now released specifically states that face masks should not be used to mitigate against the risks of closer distance!!!
“the effects are likely to be small...” Yeh right, that’s why other countries are managing to keep infections down with very few other measures actually being followed in practice!!!
So what does this mean for face masks on rides? Not a lot, as they are an extra measure, the actual government approved measure at play there is ‘not face to face’ meaning they can still operate coasters at full capacity... With or without masks ??
“the effects are likely to be small...” Yeh right, that’s why other countries are managing to keep infections down with very few other measures actually being followed in practice!!!
So what does this mean for face masks on rides? Not a lot, as they are an extra measure, the actual government approved measure at play there is ‘not face to face’ meaning they can still operate coasters at full capacity... With or without masks ??
BlueSonicHD
Mega Poster
so they are saying masks do offer protection, ie all the PPE for health workers
Joe Bloggs have to wear coverings (not masks) which offer no protection
Face covering are mandatory on Public transport... why ?
Joe Bloggs have to wear coverings (not masks) which offer no protection
Face covering are mandatory on Public transport... why ?
Nicky Borrill
Strata Poster
They’re saying that we (businesses) are not allowed to use masks as part of our risk assessment. We cannot reduce the distancing to 1m with masks as the extra mitigating measure.
Permitted mitigating measures include shorter exposure time (tick for coasters and passing each other briefly in a pub) Not face to face (tick for coasters and pub tables closer together) and extra cleaning...
Essentially the plus element of the 1m rule is bollo**s... @JammyH was right all along... None of these measures are additional and would have been the case whether the distance was 1m or 2m...
tl;dr
They’ve basically just reduced the distance to 1m with no real additional measures needed, only things that would have happened naturally anyway... At least for pubs and coasters anyway...
Its argued that face coverings reduce the dispersal of the virus if you have unknowingly contracted it. Wearing it specially on fast moving rides is IMO not really an added security as the wind disperses the aerosols really fast - however they are useful on darkrides or slow moving rides like monorails etc.
From German Morning Show tv "Morgenmagazin": Several Showmen Assosiations are preparing to sue against the continued cancelling of funfairs. They argue that on funfairs they can introduce distancing and hygine rules like in themeparks and restaurants and that the fairground could be fenced and gated to limit the amount of visitors. It's also argued that with the space not used for indoor food venues like beertents the midways could be made wider and a oneway walking regiment introduced.
From German Morning Show tv "Morgenmagazin": Several Showmen Assosiations are preparing to sue against the continued cancelling of funfairs. They argue that on funfairs they can introduce distancing and hygine rules like in themeparks and restaurants and that the fairground could be fenced and gated to limit the amount of visitors. It's also argued that with the space not used for indoor food venues like beertents the midways could be made wider and a oneway walking regiment introduced.
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I’m not surprised, as I said the whole “plus” element of the “1m plus” was just an excuse to half the distancing without any scientific evidence to actually support it. If you’re going to drop from 2m to 1m, things like plexiglass screens and face masks should have to be implemented by businesses. Sitting back to back and “enhanced cleaning” would have been done anyway, so they are hardly an extra mitigating metre to the 1m distancing.
As I said before, I don’t feel comfortable with this change. To the British public 1m is no social distancing and therefore there will be no distancing in theme park queuelines, in pubs and at funfairs. Essentially the government are permitting mass gatherings to go ahead again. I do not feel comfortable visiting UK hospitality with this delusional government guidance guiding businesses.
As I said before, the only UK park I think I will be visiting is Drayton manor, as there are mandatory masks in pretty much most areas (queuelines, rides and enclosed areas). I do not feel comfortable in merlin parks as I know there will be no social distancing in queuelines and around the park. What’s the point of wearing a mask on a coaster if you’ve spent 90 minutes in a queueline without a maskdirectly next to the people who are riding behind you anyway? There’s virtually no benefit of it, and as blackpool elaborated it’s only to make people feel more comfortable as people will be “screaming” on the rides.
Drayton manor are the only sensible ones here. We all know distancing in the queuelines isn’t going to happen, so at least masks will be compulsory in the queuelines there, on the rides and in indoor areas.
Just can’t believe the government have once again created such pathetic and wishy-washy guidance for businesses to follow. We are now, as a country, completely relying on an effective track and trace system to prevent this virus getting out of control again, and we don’t have one. Brace for the second wave in the UK, it could be worse than the first
Matt N
CF Legend
Apparently face masks have been proven to reduce transmission by up to 33% (it might even have been a higher figure), so I can definitely see the benefit.
With regards to America that some were talking about a few posts back, what we are seeing now isn’t a second wave. I read that Anthony Fauci, America’s chief medical officer, thinks that they are not out of the first wave yet, and the high numbers we’re seeing now are a continuation of the first wave as opposed to a “second wave”.
All of the talk about second waves is comparing COVID-19 to influenza pandemics (e.g. Spanish flu, swine flu), whereas COVID-19 is a coronavirus; more comparable diseases include things like SARS and MERS. Personally, I think we may see smaller clusters in single places (for example, the market in Beijing, the various meat processing plants in Germany), with local lockdowns potentially being enforced, but I don’t personally see a huge second wave like the first one was.
With regards to America that some were talking about a few posts back, what we are seeing now isn’t a second wave. I read that Anthony Fauci, America’s chief medical officer, thinks that they are not out of the first wave yet, and the high numbers we’re seeing now are a continuation of the first wave as opposed to a “second wave”.
All of the talk about second waves is comparing COVID-19 to influenza pandemics (e.g. Spanish flu, swine flu), whereas COVID-19 is a coronavirus; more comparable diseases include things like SARS and MERS. Personally, I think we may see smaller clusters in single places (for example, the market in Beijing, the various meat processing plants in Germany), with local lockdowns potentially being enforced, but I don’t personally see a huge second wave like the first one was.
Indeed - America is still in its first wave of COVID; we never vallied on infection rates, and are seeing major spikes in states that: A. Never took proper lockdown protocol to heart B. Are reopening quickly.
since America is so large and President Trump still has yet to give any national direction for quarantine response; power has been given to the states for determining their process. As result, some states will be major flash points for infection vs. others. This is a very state-by-state thing, rather than regional; here’s a slightly better infection rate viewer for reference:https://www.npr.org/sections/health...king-the-spread-of-the-coronavirus-in-the-u-s
since America is so large and President Trump still has yet to give any national direction for quarantine response; power has been given to the states for determining their process. As result, some states will be major flash points for infection vs. others. This is a very state-by-state thing, rather than regional; here’s a slightly better infection rate viewer for reference:https://www.npr.org/sections/health...king-the-spread-of-the-coronavirus-in-the-u-s
Matt N
CF Legend
Apparently people in a lot of Southern states in America are just sort of accepting the deaths that the disease will bring and not imposing any strict restrictions, which might explain why places like Florida are starting to spike so drastically. If they’re willing to accept deaths, then fair enough, but it’s a very different strategy to most other places.
Is it true that some states in America never imposed any sort of lockdown or social distancing? Or did I imagine that?
Is it true that some states in America never imposed any sort of lockdown or social distancing? Or did I imagine that?
Update about Drayton manor:
They are reconsidering their rules and reviewing “government guidelines” before making a further statement if masks will be required.
For me personally, this is annoying. If they change it to masks are no longer required, I won’t be going to any UK parks this season at all Drayton manor was the one uk theme park where I trusted sufficient safety measures were in place for me to have a comfortable day out.
They are reconsidering their rules and reviewing “government guidelines” before making a further statement if masks will be required.
For me personally, this is annoying. If they change it to masks are no longer required, I won’t be going to any UK parks this season at all
Drayton manor was the one uk theme park where I trusted sufficient safety measures were in place for me to have a comfortable day out.
BlueSonicHD
Mega Poster
I think it’s because masks are made to a specification while face covering could be anything.
This may be why gov say they offer little protection to others
At least the reports I’ve seen only ever mention masks
Nicky Borrill
Strata Poster
The problem is the wording in the guidance actually seems to discourage the recommendation of masks... And this was my worry when I read it earlier!!! I wouldn’t be surprised to see other UK parks looking at removing the requirement.
Well looks like you are right...
Drayton manor have now updated their policy and you don’t need to bring a mask at all anymore.
Won’t be visiting, feels ridiculously unsafe visiting a UK park now with this new ridiculous guidance from the government. Uk parks are written off for the whole season now for me.