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Coronavirus: Impact on Theme Parks

Bearing in mind how different the outlooks on Covid 19 have been week by week, it almost seems pointless speculating how parks will be operating by, say, September. It was only a month ago that people were wondering what the fuss was about and if many would even close. Who knows what it'll be like this time next month I terms of outlook.
 
Pokemaniac said:
Would enough people consider the risk worth it to bother going to a park? I think it wouldn't be profitable to operate a park until normalcy is restored, and even then, it will take a while before people turn up in droves again. At any rate, 2020 is probably a total write-off for most seasonal parks.
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I wouldn't be so sure that the virus will put people off. Look at the UK just before lockdowns were imposed, for example; pubs and clubs were still heaving not long before closure. Once these had closed, coastlines and national parks were really, really busy, with no real sign of social distancing. In terms of UK theme parks, I get the impression that Legoland's 2020 opening weekend still attracted decent crowds, and this was at the point that the risk of the virus was very well known, measures were starting to be put into place and other European countries were in lockdown.

In terms of the level of risk of visiting a park, it's probably no higher than going to any other public place. Think about it; you could get it from touching shelves in a supermarket. If you go to a restaurant, it could be on the seats or in the food. I personally think that theme parks present no more risk than any of these other places do, and I could see them opening alongside the likes of pubs, clubs, restaurants, theatres and other places of this nature.

Also, look at China. Parks are open again over there after only 2-3 months of closure, and if the photos from other tourist attractions in China are anything to go by, I'd suggest that few people over there are worried.
 
I can say the same for germany - many people (and the number increases) are still enjoying a nice day outside- even taking the risk of getting fined.
I think it is even possible for theme parks to experience a short peak in attendance, since many people will want to go out after a months of semi-isolation.
 
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At last a solution! ?
 
JammyH said:
For those of you who are interested, German scientists have done some modelling and predict that 15% of the population have already been infected, and potentially up to 5 million in the UK. That runs in line with the symptom tracker app developed by KCL which estimates about 3 and a half million people currently have or have had the virus so far in our country.

www.express.co.uk

Experts in Germany believe Europe could be close to herd immunity

GERMAN SCIENTISTS believe a proportion of the population could already have immunity to the coronavirus.
www.express.co.uk www.express.co.uk
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what that article and study actually says is that the UK’s identified cases only account for 1.2% of our actual cases, and as it’s a relatively older piece... That NOW means that they think around 7,822,750 have contracted the virus in the UK...

This is a significant percentage, around or just under 12% and enough to reduce the impact of any second wave... Even more so when you consider that in a few weeks, when this wave bottoms out that figure will be doubled.

Thank’s for sharing this... It is precisely what I have (very poorly) been trying to point out. An immunity level over 25% and common sense behaviour, should easily be enough to prevent a significant second wave.

Now what I’m wondering is this, if they think Germany has 15% immunity, with their testing rates compared to ours, I don’t understand why they think we have less... They have done three times more tests per 1M people, yet only have less than 50% more confirmed tests than ourselves... Proving we’re hitting more positive tests results per 100 tests than they are! Ours will be higher IMO!!!
 
Nicky Borrill said:
what that article and study actually says is that the UK’s identified cases only account for 1.2% of our actual cases, and as it’s a relatively older piece... That NOW means that they think around 7,822,750 have contracted the virus in the UK...

This is a significant percentage, around or just under 12% and enough to reduce the impact of any second wave... Even more so when you consider that in a few weeks, when this wave bottoms out that figure will be doubled.

Thank’s for sharing this... It is precisely what I have (very poorly) been trying to point out. An immunity level over 25% and common sense behaviour, should easily be enough to prevent a significant second wave.

Now what I’m wondering is this, if they think Germany has 15% immunity, with their testing rates compared to ours, I don’t understand why they think we have less... They have done three times more tests per 1M people, yet only have less than 50% more confirmed tests than ourselves... Proving we’re hitting more positive tests results per 100 tests than they are! Ours will be higher IMO!!!
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I even saw an article saying that up to half of the British population could have had it, according to an Oxford University study. The same study thinks that it's been circulating in Britain since January, which considering how many people had what they thought to be a really bad bout of flu with similar symptoms last winter, doesn't seem too far-fetched, in my opinion.

One thing's for sure; I definitely think that far more British people have had it than the number of positive tests would imply. I know of quite a few people who've had textbook symptoms recently, but weren't tested, and add in the asymptomatic cases, which could be up to 50% of cases according to some studies, and that makes the potential number of cases in Britain and around the world considerably higher than what's listed.
 
Nicky Borrill said:
I’m sorry but your fear mongering is doing my head in!!! Theme parks will be much lower risk than shopping, dining, drinking, sports, or even going to work... As they’re mostly outdoors.

Of course there will be ‘some’ risk, but this will be relatively low compared to most other activities that will restart as countries ‘unlock.’
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Fear mongering? You're a sensitive little bean, aren't you?

If things that are outdoor are so safe compared to shopping and dining, why are police shutting down outdoor gatherings? Any socialising is too much socialising right now.

Nicky Borrill said:
BTW sneezing is an extremely uncommon symptom of covid ;) But I think you meant coughing...
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I think I meant what I said ;) Having coronavirus doesn't prevent your body from sneezing. There have even been official health videos about sneezing during this pandemic and how droplets from a sneeze travel much further than originally thought. You have watched the news, right?
 
Ethan said:
Fear mongering? You're a sensitive little bean, aren't you?

If things that are outdoor are so safe compared to shopping and dining, why are police shutting down outdoor gatherings? Any socialising is too much socialising right now.


I think I meant what I said ;) Having coronavirus doesn't prevent your body from sneezing. There have even been official health videos about sneezing during this pandemic and how droplets from a sneeze travel much further than originally thought. You have watched the news, right?
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I’m the sensitive one? You’re the one saying you want to lock yourself up for more than a year over a virus pandemic that will have all but burnt out in a few months ;)

Yes I do watch the news, but I tend to get most of my information from places like the WHO, NHS, CDC, Various university and medical institution’s studies and papers etc. You see the problems with the media are that they usually don’t know what the hell they’re talking about, and also, fear sells, so they tend to have a bias towards the worst of everything, predicting worst possible outcomes, and so on. It’s basically their job to be fear mongers... Come to think about it, I see why you like the news. ;)
 
Matt N said:
I even saw an article saying that up to half of the British population could have had it, according to an Oxford University study. The same study thinks that it's been circulating in Britain since January, which considering how many people had what they thought to be a really bad bout of flu with similar symptoms last winter, doesn't seem too far-fetched, in my opinion.

One thing's for sure; I definitely think that far more British people have had it than the number of positive tests would imply. I know of quite a few people who've had textbook symptoms recently, but weren't tested, and add in the asymptomatic cases, which could be up to 50% of cases according to some studies, and that makes the potential number of cases in Britain and around the world considerably higher than what's listed.
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As hopeful as that study was, we have to take it with a pinch of salt I’m afraid, it wasn’t published, wasn’t peer tested, and is more of a curve prediction based on unproved data, i.e that coronavirus was present in the UK in January. It could be right, could be wrong.

It would be an amazing outcome if we achieved full herd immunity by the end of wave one, but I just can’t see that happening. I’m confidently hopeful that we’ll achieve a level high enough to prevent any (potential) second wave from overwhelming the NHS though, and let’s not forget, it was that prospect that forced the lockdown in the first place.
 
Cedar Fair just sent out notice to all pass holders that their 2020 passes have been extended to 2021 as well. They have also halted billing for anyone who selected monthly pricing for their passes.

Nice move... and really makes me wonder when Cedar Fair actually plans to reopen in 2020. lol
 
Matt N said:
I even saw an article saying that up to half of the British population could have had it, according to an Oxford University study. The same study thinks that it's been circulating in Britain since January, which considering how many people had what they thought to be a really bad bout of flu with similar symptoms last winter, doesn't seem too far-fetched, in my opinion.

One thing's for sure; I definitely think that far more British people have had it than the number of positive tests would imply. I know of quite a few people who've had textbook symptoms recently, but weren't tested, and add in the asymptomatic cases, which could be up to 50% of cases according to some studies, and that makes the potential number of cases in Britain and around the world considerably higher than what's listed.
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Unfortunately, I don't think this study is right. I had the flu last winter and while the symptoms are similar and I had to be ventilated and it was highly infectious with doctors and nurses having to fully kit up it was a known strain of flu which was able to be tested.
 
Matt N said:
I even saw an article saying that up to half of the British population could have had it, according to an Oxford University study. The same study thinks that it's been circulating in Britain since January, which considering how many people had what they thought to be a really bad bout of flu with similar symptoms last winter, doesn't seem too far-fetched, in my opinion.

One thing's for sure; I definitely think that far more British people have had it than the number of positive tests would imply. I know of quite a few people who've had textbook symptoms recently, but weren't tested, and add in the asymptomatic cases, which could be up to 50% of cases according to some studies, and that makes the potential number of cases in Britain and around the world considerably higher than what's listed.
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I haven't trusted anything that has come out of Oxford university since the start of this outbreak. They had at least 6 students confirmed with the virus yet the university was still operating as normal. They then come out and say that half the British population could have been infected by the virus, and then that they are "80% sure" they will have a vaccine ready by September, when other major researchers are estimating 12-18 months for a widespread vaccine. I'd take everything you read with a pinch of salt.

The figures I am trusting at the moment are the ones from the German scientists, and the ones from the UK Covid-19 symptom tracker app developed by Kings College London.

The COVID 19 symptom tracker app developed by KCL estimates that currently 1.4 million people in the UK have symptomatic COVID 19, whereas on the 1st April they estimated 1.9 million UK citizens had symptomatic Covid 19, which shows that the lockdown is slowly reducing the spread. However, we are going to have to stay in lockdown for a while longer to really push down that number. Remember this is excluding people who are carrying the virus asymptomatically, which could be anywhere from 10-50%, which means there is a potential for 2.8 million people currently infected at this one time, and then we have to consider the virus will have been in the country since late December/early Jan as the outbreak started at the beginning of December in wuhan.

The German scientists believe that the world already has a 15% immunity rate against the virus, and we would need 60-70% for the virus to completely disappear and achieve "herd immunity", which has been heavily talked about. The German scientists believe that as the UK is only testing the NHS and hospitalised cases, that the UK testing regime is only picking up 1.2% of all cases of coronavirus. Our official number of cases stands at 93, 873 so after doing some math that would predict that in reality the following number of people in the UK now have antibodies against coronavirus:

7,822,750.

The UK has a population of 66.65 million and therefore this would estimate that the UK currently has an immunity rate of about 12%. However this will be increasing by the day as even though remember we are in "lockdown", the virus is still spreading day upon day.

The amount of deaths from this has been truly devastating, reported at 128,000 now, but in reality it will be much higher than that as China presumably lied about the number of their deaths as they are way lower than any European country, and the outbreak would have undoubtedly been just as bad in china. Assuming the German scientists are roughly right and estimating a death rate of 0.37%, that means at least 35 million people have been infected, but in reality it could be around 200million infections so far.
 
Booloop have posted an article about Bellewaerde Belgium and how the park plan to keep workers and guests safe when they reopen. They also mention how in April alone they stand to loose nearly 4 million euros in turnover.

While theme parks across Europe are closed to prevent the spread of COVID-19, Belgian attraction, Bellewaerde, is already planning how to reopen smoothly and safely.

The management of the popular Belgian visitor attraction, Bellewaerde Amusement Park and Bellewaerde Aquapark, is preparing a plan of action ahead of a confirmed reopening date. Measures likely to be put in place include face masks, visitor number caps and distance markers.
“We are taking measures to keep the staff working safely and still provide visitors with an unforgettable day of fun and adventure,” said Bellewaerde spokesman Filip Van Dorpe. “Once the government provides more clarity about a possible opening date, we want to be sufficiently prepared to guarantee our visitors a pleasant and safe visit, without losing sight of the safety of our own people.”
Several new health and safety measures will be in place once the attractions are allowed to reopen. For example, face masks, social distancing rules and extra cleaning routines.
“We placed a group order for our masks for our employees,” said the spokesperson. “In order to bridge an initial opening period, more than 100,000 copies are on order.”
Similar to other attractions which are considering reopening, such as Kolmården Zoo in Sweden, the amusement park has a large outdoor area, making social distancing more achievable. The number of visitors to the park will initially be capped at 4,000, enabling visitors to spread out and keep a safe distance from others.


In addition to this, extra signage and markings will be in place throughout the park, helping visitors to keep their distance while queueing. “With this, we ensure sufficient distance between the visitors. For this reason, however, it will not be possible to have the Stunt & Dive Show or the meet & greets with King Lion,” says Van Dorpe.

Rubbing alcohol will be available for the public throughout the park, as well as at the entrance and exit of all attractions. Ride safety rails will be disinfected after every turn, and facilities such as restaurants and toilets will be increasing the frequency of cleaning routines throughout the day. Extra security personnel will also be patrolling the park to ensure that visitors comply with the new safety measures.
“Safety has always been a top priority at Bellewaerde and this will be no different this season,” says Stefaan Lemey, General Manager at Bellewaerde. “We will make every effort to welcome visitors in a safe manner, taking into account the various measures.
“Last year we invested 17.5 million euros in Bellewaerde Aquapark and this year more than 7.5 million euros in our new attraction Wakala. This last investment was almost completed and we could therefore no longer put it on-hold. All contracts had been concluded for months, large advances had been paid and the attraction was already 90 per cent in early March.
“We lose almost €4 million in turnover in April alone. So we hope to be able to open the gates soon, so as a major employer here in the region to be able to get all our people out of unemployment, ”adds Lemey. “We hope that our visitors will be able to relax in one of our parks with family and friends in the coming months.”
Attractions in some parts of China are beginning to reopen, with extra safety measures in place. Meanwhile, theme parks in the West will be looking to Asia when planning to reopen, with Disney’s Bob Iger saying visitors may need to go through temperature checkpoints on entry.
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blooloop.com

Bellewaerde plans safety measures for reopening | blooloop

While theme parks across Europe are closed to prevent the spread of COVID-19, one Belgian attraction, Bellewaerde, is planning how to reopen safely.
blooloop.com blooloop.com
 
Germany has come out with some new dates for releasing their lockdown and large events and sports will be shut down until the 31st August. Seen differing reports on whether this includes the theme parks or not but I am assuming it will definitely include all the fairs. If not then they'll probably be in another category with a different date to be announced.
 
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CSLKennyNI said:
Booloop have posted an article about Bellewaerde Belgium and how the park plan to keep workers and guests safe when they reopen. They also mention how in April alone they stand to loose nearly 4 million euros in turnover.


blooloop.com

Bellewaerde plans safety measures for reopening | blooloop

While theme parks across Europe are closed to prevent the spread of COVID-19, one Belgian attraction, Bellewaerde, is planning how to reopen safely.
blooloop.com blooloop.com
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Belgium has, after 2 days of falling numbers, just recorded their most new cases in a single day... Probably a little while yet for Belgium :/
 
California mass gatherings potentially banned until 2021. Again, parks are in that grey area but that's quite a big deal in general if that goes ahead.
 
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