California’s Disneyland has been closed since March of this year, and California governor Gavin Newsom has confirmed that the state will not allow the park to reopen anytime soon. The coronavirus outbreak means that large gatherings of people pose a significant health risk to the community, and businesses like theme parks and movie theaters have been described as too dangerous in this unprecedented time. However, the continued closure of companies means that many employees are suffering as a result.
Last week, Disney laid off 28,000 Disneyland employees, leaving many Southern California residents unemployed and without healthcare. Disney Parks chairman Josh D’Amaro placed the blame on the California state government, claiming that the company could no longer afford to keep their employees on furlough and would need to reopen soon to maintain their business.
Despite this, Gov. Newsom has been very definitive in the state’s decision not to reopen the park, Deadline reports. In a recent news conference, Gov. Newsom emphasized that preventing the spread of COVID-19 is the California state government's top priority. "We don’t anticipate in the immediate term any of these larger parks opening until we see more stability in terms of the data," he stated. This statement also applies to several other theme parks in the Southern California area, including Knott’s Berry Farm, Six Flags Magic Mountain, and Universal Studios.
Gov. Newsom and the California state government have released a 4-stage plan for reopening businesses in California, with the goal being to decrease each county’s COVID-19 risk to “minimal.” As of publication, the majority of Southern California counties are labeled as “substantial” or “widespread” risk. However, D’Amaro and other theme park executives argue that since restaurants and indoor shopping in California have started to reopen with safety measures, theme parks could also operate with those same safety measures in place.
When discussing whether Disneyland should be allowed to reopen, it is essential to think about the needs of the 28,000 employees who were laid off by the company. However, the most important thing to remember in this discussion is the safety and wellbeing of those who will be most affected by the state’s decision. COVID-19 is an incredibly deadly disease, having claimed the lives of almost 200,000 people in the United States already. The prevention of this disease is crucial, but it may mean that Disneyland will have to stay closed for far longer than its employees would prefer.
Source: Deadline