After temporarily closing back on March 16, due to the coronavirus pandemic, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay now says it will reopen next week.
A statement from SeaWorld Entertainment, which also owns SeaWorld Orlando and Adventure Island, says all three parks will reopen on June 11.
The company’s reopening plan was previously approved by Hillsborough County and Tampa mayor Jane Castor, and has just recently received the nod of approval from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
“We thank Governor DeSantis, Mayor Castor, and County Administrator Merrill for their support of tourism in Central Florida as we prepare to reopen our Tampa parks to the public on June 11,” said Marc Swanson, interim CEO of SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc. in a statement.
“Over the past two months, we have worked with state and local health officials, third party medical and epidemiology experts, and attraction industry leaders to enhance our strict health, safety, and cleanliness standards. We are committed to the health and safety of our guests, employees, and animals in our care, and will continue to follow the guidance from health officials as conditions evolve.”
According to the statement, the parks will reopen with new social distancing rules put in place, including increased cleaning measures, reservations, and mandatory temperature screening for all guests and employees.
Busch Gardens will have mandatory masks for anyone over the age of two-years-old, except while eating and drinking and in designated areas.. Adventure Island, on the other hand, will not require masks at all.
Both parks will have signage and ground markings encouraging social distancing, as well as plexiglass installed in high-traffic or close-contact areas.
All employees will undergo COVID-19 safety training, as well as be required to stay home if they are sick, says the company.
The company’s safety guidelines also says that parades and meet-and-greets will be modified or completely removed if they don’t adhere to certain safety standards. Rides and attractions will also have modified seating and queue lines to encourage social distancing.
You can read Busch Gardens Tampa Bay's new social distancing rules here, and Adventure Island's here.
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This article appears in Jun 4-10, 2020.
