When Kings Island announced it was reopening to the public on July 12, it also announced some new health and safety precautions to combat the spread of COVID-19.
“We are ready to welcome our guests back to Kings Island for some long-overdue fun,” said Mike Koontz, Kings Island's general manager, in a release. “The safety of our guests and associates has always been and will always be our top priority. The park’s new health and safety protocols align with CDC recommendations, and have been shaped by information from company and industry health and safety experts, along with our state and local government officials.”
The new guidelines include:
- Required reservations prior to your visit in order to ensure capacity limits
- Visitors must complete a health screening 24 hours prior to visit
- Guests and employees will have temperatures taken upon entering
- Guests and employees must wear masks
- Social distancing markers will be outlined throughout the park and ride lines
And some people are really taking issue with the required face mask part.
A user named stevi kurz has launched a change.org petition demanding "No Mask Requirement at Kings Island."
The description reads:
There have been numerous studies showing the ineffectiveness of masks on healthy people. If we aren’t required to wear a mask while grocery shopping in Ohio, we shouldn’t be required to wear one while OUTSIDE. If you choose to wear a mask, great! But don’t force healthy individuals to do so!
The heat and humidity alone will make this very difficult to do. Dont force your children to do this! Stand up for our rights! Many people have paid for passes and now won’t get to use them! Sign this petition and let King’s Island know what their guests want!
The goal is 1,500 signatures, at which point, we aren't sure what happens. But so far, it looks like the petition will hit its goal.
Here are some reasons people listed for signing the petition:
At a recent press conference, a representative of the World Health Organization said it's "rare that an asymptomatic individual actually transmits (the virus) onward," but then later retracted that statement.
According to Science News, "The WHO’s statement that asymptomatic transmission is rare 'is not backed up by any data,' says Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in Bethesda, Maryland. 'We know that there is asymptomatic transmission…. What we do not know is the extent to which that occurs. So when we hear statements that this is very rare, we do not know that as a fact.'"
Concern about transmission through droplets is one of the main reasons the CDC started recommending people wear cloth face coverings in public, especially in situations where social distancing cannot be achieved.
That being said, it is true that it is not a requirement to wear a face mask in the state of Ohio.
While Gov. Mike DeWine initially said he would require public mask use when reopening businesses, he walked that mandate back and said instead public mask use is a strong recommendation. However, he did also say that while mask requirements are not up to the government, individual businesses can issue their own rules.
