Universal Orlando Issues Health Warning Ahead of Reopening

Universal Studios announced on Friday that the Florida theme park will reopen on June 5. That reopening will include the entire park, including Universal Studios Florida, Universal's Islands of Adventure, and Universal's Volcano Bay. However, when the theme park's reopening occurs it comes with a big caveat: Universal Studios is warning guests that there is an "inherent risk of exposure" to COVID-19 just by nature of it being a public place where other people will gather.

The warning comes on the official Universal Orlando website. A banner at the top of the page notifies would-be guests of the risk and offers more details about the reopening as well.

"Exposure to COVID-19 is an inherent risk in any public location where people are present; we cannot guarantee you will not be exposed during your visit," the warning reads.

Clicking on "get details" takes guests to a page that explains some of the guidelines for visiting the theme park including required face coverings for staff and guests, required temperature checks upon arrival, social distancing requirements, as well as reminders to wash hands frequently, use hand sanitizer, and follow the directions of Universal team members.

Universal's warning to guests is similar to one issued by Disney with the reopening of Disney Springs on Wednesday.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, executive vice president and chief administrative officer for Universal parks and resorts submitted the park's proposal to the Orange County Economic Recovery Task Force where it was unanimously approved. Universal Orlando and Universal Studios Hollywood have both been closed since mid-March.

According to the report, Universal Orlando will first open on June 1 for employees only as a test of their reopening strategy with a second opening on June 3 for VIP guests. The full reopening for the public will be June 5 and will see the park opening for a lower capacity of guests in addition to the required mask and temperature checks, though capacity is expected to increase as weeks and months continue.

This update about Universal's full theme park reopening comes just over a week after Universal Orlando's CityWalk reopened on May 14th.

"We will begin limited operation of select venues at Universal Orlando's CityWalk on Thursday, May 14 as we take the first steps toward reopening our destination. The health and safety of our guests and team members remains our top priority and we are taking specific measures that include screening our guests and team members, social distancing and requiring everyone to wear a face covering. We will also be limiting capacity at venues and increasing our already-aggressive cleaning and disinfection procedures. Select venues are scheduled to open daily from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.," a statement about the CityWalk reopening read and noted which specific venues would reopen at that time.

What do you think about Universal's health warnings ahead of reopening? Let us know in the comments below.

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