Universal Studios Hollywood reopens to public after one-year closure

Source: Xinhua| 2021-04-17 04:18:27|Editor: huaxia

People have fun during a preview in Universal Studios Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, the United States, on April 15, 2021. (Xinhua)

In accordance with government guidelines, only California residents may visit Universal Studios Hollywood at this time. Safety guidelines and procedures are still in place for guests, including face covering, temperature check and social distancing.

LOS ANGELES, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Universal Studios Hollywood, one of the most visited tourist attractions in Los Angeles County, in the U.S. state California, officially reopened with limited capacity on Friday after being closed for more than a year amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The theme park, which reportedly drew more than 9.15 million visitors in 2019, welcomed guests back with two all-new attractions, "Jurassic World-The Ride" and "The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash."

"Today is the start of a new beginning, new dinos and new pets," tweeted the theme park, owned by Comcast Corp, Friday morning.

Park officials said while most rides will be operational, some rides and attractions will reopen at a later date as the theme park complies with the government restrictions.

In accordance with government guidelines, only California residents may visit the theme park at this time. Safety guidelines and procedures are still in place for guests, including face covering, temperature check and social distancing.

People visit Universal Studios Hollywood during a preview in Los Angeles, California, the United States, on April 15, 2021. (Xinhua)

Park officials reminded guests should evaluate their own risk before they visit. They noted public health agencies advise that older adults and people of any age who have serious underlying medical conditions might be at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19 and "any interaction with the general public poses an elevated risk of being exposed to COVID-19."

Annual and season pass members were allowed to get a preview in Universal Studios Hollywood on Thursday. The tickets for opening weekend had been reportedly sold out.

Universal Studios Hollywood, as well as Disneyland Park and other theme parks in California, was closed in March last year amid coronavirus scares. The closure of the theme parks came after California authorities called for the cancellation of gatherings of 250 or more people amid the pandemic.

According to Comcast's annual report, Universal theme park revenue declined 68.9 percent from 5.9 billion U.S. dollars in 2019 to 1.8 billion dollars in 2020.

Disney also announced last month that the company's flagship theme parks in Orange County, California, are slated to reopen with limited capacity on April 30.

People take a selfie during a preview in Universal Studios Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, the United States, on April 15, 2021. (Xinhua)

According to the state's Blueprint to a Safer Economy, theme parks in the counties in the purple tier, the most restrictive tier of California's four-tier, color-coded system for reopening, are not allowed to reopen. But theme parks in the less-restrictive red tier will be eligible to reopen at 15 percent capacity. Maximum capacity will be increased to 25 percent for theme parks in the counties in the orange tier and to 35 percent in the yellow tier.

Both Los Angeles County and Orange County are currently in the orange tier. The most populous state in the United States aims to fully reopen by June 15, if COVID-19 vaccinations remain widely available and hospitalizations associated with the virus stay low.

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