by Donald Wood
Last updated: 2:52 PM ET, Tue May 5, 2020
As travel restrictions and shelter-in-place mandates are eased, the Six Flags Entertainment Corporation announced it plans on opening several of its theme parks in May.
According to Newsweek, Six Flags CEO Michael Spanos announced six parks in Georgia, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas and Mexico are expected to open first, but there will be widespread changes to how the facilities operate as a result of the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.
Six Flags closed its theme parks in mid-March to combat the viral pandemic, but has been working with government officials at each location to determine the best course of action.
"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," Spanos told the LA Daily News. "Those would seem to be the areas right now where we're watching the state or the country dynamics that would suggest, ideally, we could open at some point, hopefully in the summer. But again, time will tell."
To keep each facility safe, Six Flags will require all guests to make advanced reservations online as part of the effort to reduce attendance numbers. The company is also requiring face masks, temperature checks and social distancing methods.
In addition, Six Flags is testing new systems for mobile ordering, cashless transactions and virtual queuing, as well as increasing sanitization schedules and installing hand-sanitizing stations throughout the properties.
Last month, travelers who love to visit Disney theme parks learned they would have to continue waiting as the coronavirus outbreak has forced the company to evaluate how and when it can safely reopen Disney World in Orlando and Disneyland in Anaheim.
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