Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday that California theme parks have to remain closed for now — a stance that has put him at odds with park owners such as Walt Disney Co. and some legislators.
“We’re going to be led by a health-first framework, and we’re going to be stubborn about it,” the governor told reporters. “We don’t anticipate in the immediate term any of these larger theme parks opening until we see more stability in terms of the data.” California, home to the original Disneyland and Comcast Corp.’s Universal Studios, is among the last states to reopen its theme parks. Florida began letting them reopen in June, and Disney parks from Shanghai to Paris have also opened to guests after closing for several months this year due to the coronavirus., roughly one-quarter of the workforce in its resorts division. The company said the move was “exacerbated” by California’s shutdown.