Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, many amusement parks weren't able to open, and the parks that did open weren't able to open in a very safe way. Today, I wanted to look at when amusement parks can safely reopen.
First, I want to take a look at the statistics. On January 9th, we hit an all-time high of 300,000 new cases in one day. After that, there was a large dip in new cases. This is likely because it is about 2 weeks after Christmas. After that, there was a dip of the new cases.
Now, I do want to share some of the restrictions that we know about. When Joe Biden announced his plan to deal with the pandemic, there were common sense, not very restrictive policies. States are allowed to create more restrictions, but he plans on having 100 days of mandatory masking, 100 million COVID-19 Vaccines given out (Primarily to the highest risk), and to work on opening up as many schools as safely possible.
The first 100 days of Joe Biden's presidency run to April 30th, so the restrictions will loosen in May. Businesses are allowed to have their own Dress Codes, too, so they can require masks inside the business, just as easily as they can require any other clothes.
Now, I wanted to look over when Amusement Parks can safely reopen, without needing to worry much about the pandemic.
One thing we are looking for is Herd Immunity. lung.org estimates that 70-90% of people need to immune for Herd Immunity. This will require 297,900,000 people to be immune. As of now, 8.2% of the US Population have had the vaccine.
Now, one issue we need to fix is approval for Children. 22.6% of the US Population is made up of Children. The Moderna vaccine is only approved for people 18+. The Pfizer vaccine has been approved for people 16+, but there are no COVID-19 Vaccines approved for people under 16. Furthermore, the Pfizer vaccine needs to be stored in colder temperatures, so, for the most part, only hospitals will be getting the Pfizer vaccine.
Now, one thing that will really help is the Johnson and Johnson vaccine. Since it is just one dose, people will be more likely to get it. Getting 2 doses will be more of a hassle, so this will be more convenient. Also, we know that this vaccine is about 57% effective against the new variant of COVID-19 popping up in South Africa.
With a new vaccine being available that only requires one dose, people won't have to worry about booking another appointment for their second dose. This vaccine is predicted to be a success, and it is likely going to be approved soon. It is only showing to be about 66% effective, but it is more than what is required to be approved (at least 50%), and if this can help slow the spread of the pandemic, then it is a good thing.
Now, let's look at some of the restrictions that amusement parks will have when they reopen.
Of course, masks and social distancing will be required. These are concepts that are known to work at preventing the spread of COVID-19. Also, it is very likely that indoor dining will be heavily restricted. I don't know how most parks are doing it, but I know that Kennywood has had Parkside Cafe and End Zone Cafe closed and Johnny Rockets as Take-Out only for all of 2020.
Indoor attractions will likely be restricted, too. I think that they will use almost exclusively outdoor lines.
Water Parks are likely to stay closed during the pandemic. You just can't have a water park opened safely during a pandemic. People won't wear masks, as, when damp, masks can suffocate people. Water Rides are also going to have to be closed for the same reason.
I think that some amusement parks will have "Mask-Free Zones". Those did exist at parks like Kennywood and Idlewild in 2020, but they weren't there for long. They were likely hard to sanitize and too high of a risk. Now, those areas are just seating, but masks are required unless you are eating or drinking something.
Now, though, we should try finding out when parks can safely reopen.
Health Authorities are saying that the general public will be able to get a vaccine some time in Spring, but some doctors are saying that it likely won't be available to the General Public until around fall. This depends on how states control the rollout of the vaccines.
In the future, I think that we can reach herd immunity. In the US, herd immunity will likely be reachable by this time next year. We will have to get the vaccine approved for children, but that is a possibility that can be met in the near future. With government support and leaders who believe in Science, we can beat this virus. It will take some time, effort, and sacrifices, but we can beat it.
On this site, I don't really talk much about politics, but I feel like it is safe for me to say that I am proud of our new president. He is doing everything he can to help slow the spread of COVID-19, and other than that, he is working to improve American lives and be more accepting. He is doing what he can to lower our debt, and I just hope that his COVID-19 plan will work. I hope that him being accepting of all people and him working with people, even with them being parts of other parties, will help open businesses up safely.
I do want to go over when we will reach Herd Immunity. Chances are that, no matter what, we will reach Herd Immunity (to an extent). The question is if we will do it the easy or the hard way.
There is an easy way here: vaccines. Vaccines are completely safe (if you're not allergic). The COVID-19 Vaccines that are currently available do not use actual dead or damaged viruses to create immunity. The Moderna Vaccine and the Pfizer/BioNTech Vaccines are both mRNA vaccines. The Johnson and Johnson Vaccine is a Adenovirus Vector Vaccine. They do the same basic thing. They both train the immune system to target the Spike Proteins on the ends of the cells. They do that task in different ways, though. mRNA Vaccines are a more recent invention. They are easier to produce than some vaccine types. Adenovirus Vector vaccines are a vaccine type that have been used before to fight pandemics.
We should also mention the hard way. This way is what we want to avoid. The hard way is when the vulnerable will die and the living will develop immunity. This is not what we want at all.
When trying to reach Herd Immunity, some people will still die from COVID-19. Some people will become infected. To limit deaths, we need to stay home and avoid travel. We need to avoid contact and we need to take the virus very seriously. Masking and Social Distancing will allow us to more safely talk to people in person. We can reach Herd Immunity soon. Get vaccinated when you can.
My final guess for when we can safely open Amusement Parks is the end of June. By then, most of the population will be vaccinated. A large amount of Kids will be vaccinated from Clinical Trials. Thousands of kids already are immune. Most adults will have gotten a vaccine at this point. We will still need to wear masks, it would seem. Social Distancing can eventually be relaxed. We can beat this virus, though. We don't know a lot of things, and I am no expert, but it seems that we can reach Herd Immunity by the end of Spring, even. Adults will most likely have the vaccine and kids will either get a test vaccine or will get COVID-19 and recover from it.
I hope that you all can stay safe. If you go to parks, be careful. Wear a mask, social distance, sanitize, cover your mouth and nose, wear more than a neck gaiter, and don't eat inside buildings in the park. I hope that, no matter where you are, that you can stay safe.
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