Theme Park Asks Guests Not to Scream on Rollercoasters to Prevent Spread of Virus

As the world slowly and cautiously crawls out from under the weight of a global coronavirus pandemic, many are not sure what kind of world we will be emerging back into, and if we will even recognize the place?

First, there will be masks – and lots of them.  Around the world, citizens are being urged to wear masks if they are to be within 6 feet of others, in an effort to curb the unintended spread of COVID-19, which is primarily transferred from human to human through respiratory droplets.  With asymptomatic carriers being a huge piece of the puzzle, it is likely that we’ll see more masks than not in the coming weeks, particularly as public gatherings come back in vogue.

For many businesses and tourists attractions, the masks could be mandatory until such a time as global authorities deem it safe to stop donning them.  Now, a tourist attraction in Japan is taking an ever wilder precaution.

Among the guidelines proposed by the East Japan and West Japan Amusement Park Associations, operators are being urged to comply with dozens of expected coronavirus prevention measures already being utilized by parks across the globe, such as operating at reduced capacity, increasing the frequency of cleanings, installing handwashing stations, and pre-selling tickets to control the flow of guests. Visitors should also be given temperature checks before entering, wear masks at all times, and practice social distancing once inside, the guidelines stipulate.

But that’s not all — the East Japan and West Japan Amusement Park Associations would also prefer the country’s amusement parks to be a much quieter place, to help minimize any droplets emanating from the mouths of entertainers, employees or guests. To that end, they recommend that patrons and workers be asked to refrain from using a loud voice (with lots of “splashes”). In other cases, where possible, they even advise that employees refrain from using their voice to communicate with guests.

In addition to refraining from exclamations on the rides, guests will also be asked to limit their “oohs” and “ahhs” during live shows as well.