When will Six Flags amusement parks reopen? Company outlines coronavirus safety plan

If you’ve been itching for a rollercoaster fix while stuck at home in the national coronavirus lockdown, Six Flags may have some good news for you.

The company hopes to reopen six amusement parks in Georgia, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, and Mexico by mid-May, Newsweek reports.

But parks in California and the northeast United States, hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic, may remain closed for months longer, the Los Angeles Daily News reported.

The parks targeted to reopen first are Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, Six Flags Fiesta Texas in San Antonio, Six Flags Over Georgia near Atlanta, Six Flags St. Louis in Missouri, Frontier City in Oklahoma City and Six Flags Mexico in Mexico City, according to the publication.

“When you look at what’s going on with the states, it would suggest that we should be staying close to Texas, Oklahoma, Georgia, Missouri and Mexico,” said Six Flags CEO Michael Spanos in a conference call Friday, the Los Angeles Daily News reported.

Amusement and theme parks across the nation shut down in March as the global coronavirus pandemic began hammering the United States, prompting a national state of emergency and statewide stay-home orders to try to curb the spread of the virus.

Six Flags is giving annual pass-holders one additional month for each month its parks remain closed, McClatchy News previously reported.

When Six Flags amusement parks do reopen, they’ll have some new rules to enforce social distancing and other protections intended to fight coronavirus, KCBS reported.

Parks will admit fewer guests and allow fewer people in line for rides, with six-foot markers to help people keep their distance, Newsweek reported. Rides will be cleaned and disinfected more frequently.

Hand-sanitizing stations are planned throughout the parks, according to the publication.

The company also hopes to add temperature checks at entrances to screen out guests with fevers, Theme Park Tourist reported.

“That’s going to be the reality,” Spanos said, the Los Angeles Daily News reported. “It’s going to be the new normal.”