Amusement parks that involve too much touching aren't safe to open right now, Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries Lisa MacLeod said Wednesday.
MacLeod says while parks like Canada's Wonderland, Ottawa's Calypso Theme Waterpark and Santa's Village in Muskoka are all putting safety protocols in place, it's not possible for them to welcome the public.
"The chief medical officer of health has advised our government and we have accepted his science that theme parks and water parks of those nature still pose a significant threat," she said.
Other facilities though, such as Marineland are operating and MacLeod said it's a fair question to ask why.
"We are looking at some tourism and cultural attractions safely reopening, Ripley's for example here in Toronto, many of our art galleries and museums as well, with a limited high touch," she said, adding another reason along with the amount of hand contact is Windsor-Essex remaining in Stage 2.
"We are not confident given the circulation of people of coming from different parts of Ontario and different parts of Canada, at this point in time, to open those theme parks until all of Ontario is in Stage 3," she said.
Wonderland's most recent update is from May 8th, saying, "We want to assure you that when we do open, Canada’s Wonderland will continue to be a safe and fun environment for all. Our team is 100% committed to this promise. And we are working alongside industry experts and government officials toward this shared goal. We will keep you updated as we move forward; in the meantime, we thank you for your loyalty and continued support."
Marineland has guest limits for features such as its penguin exhibit, polar splash pad, hungry bear restaurant, gift shop and education presentations, though rides are not available.
Marineland is working on a first-come, first-serve basis until it reaches its "daily reduced on-grounds attendance limit," though it has not confirmed what that total limit is.