LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – California theme park executives said on Wednesday that legal action was among the options they were exploring to hasten the reopening of the industry in the state.
“I think that all options are open at this point. We are going to continue to explore our options,” Erin Guerrero, executive director of the Californian Attractions and Parks Association, told a news conference when asked whether legal action was being considered.
Guerrero was responding to guidance by California health officials on Tuesday that pushed the reopening of Disneyland and other large parks months down the road.
The news conference was attended by senior executives from Walt Disney Co’s Disneyland, Comcast Corp’s Universal Studios, Legoland and Knott’s Berry Farm in California. All of them have been closed since mid-March because of the global pandemic.
“Our No. 1 goal is to be allowed to reopen responsibly. Obviously we’d love to keep that conversation going,” Guerrero said. “At this point any options are viable.”
California Health Secretary Mark Ghaly said on Tuesday that theme parks with a capacity of more than 15,000 visitors must wait to resume business until a county’s COVID-19 risk level drops to the lowest tier of “minimal” spread.
Disneyland said the guidelines would keep the park “shuttered for the foreseeable future.”