California Amusement Parks Can Open on April 1 — but Please, No Screaming on the Rides

Female friends riding roller coaster at amusement park

The good news is that you'll be able to visit a theme park in California again soon.

The bad news is that you might want to avoid thrill rides.

According to USA TODAY, the trade group California Attractions and Parks Association (CAPA) is now recommending that amusement park visitors in the state avoid activities like singing, heavy breathing, and yes, screaming.

The reasoning for this stems from the fact that these activities increase the spread of viruses, according to USA TODAY. Screaming, singing, heavy breathing, and generally projecting your voice can also project more droplets from your mouth and nose into the air.

So that amazingly scary roller coaster you've been wanting to ride? You'll want to keep your mouth closed the whole time.

CAPA included this advice in its "Responsible Reopening Plan," which details the best guidelines for amusement parks like Disneyland and Six Flags to reopen safely while the COVID-19 pandemic is still going on. These parks, in addition to Universal Studios, will be able to reopen on April 1 at 15 percent capacity if they choose, USA TODAY reported. Disneyland plans to reopen on April 30.

This advice isn't new to the amusement park industry. Back in May 2020, the East and West Japan Theme Park Associations recommended a "no screaming" policy on roller coasters, with some parks even offering special face mask decals to fake a scream while riding.

Not screaming on a roller coaster might be a big task for many people, so it might be best to stick to gentler rides for the time being.

Andrea Romano is a freelance writer in New York City. Follow her on Twitter @theandrearomano.

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