NYS Covid-19 Fall Business Guidelines Announced
Technically, the announcement mentioned 'Agritourism' businesses, which Apple Picking, Pumpkin Picking, Corn Mazes, etc. These are of course fall-fun activities, but the mentioned of Haunted Attractions in this announcement is what caught our attention.
The info most pertinent to Scraycuse readers is as follows:
Hayrides - permitted consistent with Public Transportation guidance and the following conditions:
Mandatory face coverings
Social distance required between individuals/parties
Frequently touched surfaces, such as handrails, cleaned and sanitized between rides
Haunted Houses - permitted consistent with Low Risk Indoor Arts and Entertainment guidance and the following conditions:
Reduced capacity
Face coverings required
Social distance maintained between individuals/parties
We're not sure weather this is a welcome annoucement, or a nail-in-the-coffin to many attractions. I'll address our own concerns to each bullet point...
Mandatory face coverings: This was to be expected for guests, but does this mean someone wearing a monster-mask with breathing holes has to also have an additional face covering like a medical mask under that? I so appreciate the working conditions these folks deal with in regular years, this sounds tough.
Reduced Capacity: This makes it very difficult to maintain a profitable business model, in an industry fueled much more by passion than revenue already. Godspeed to all my haunting friends.
Cleaning and sanitizig between rides: This is another one that I somewhat expected, but the surfaes on a Haunted Hayride aroundexactly non-pourous. How do you sanitize a bail of hay that is often used for seating on a Haunted Hayride?
Social distance required between individuals/parties: This hopefully means, no conga-lines in Haunted House walkthroughs. It makes for a good experience, but man does it concern me for our Hunating friends businesses.
My hope is that whatever way an attraction adjusts to these, that people will come out in droves. Be patient, have fun! Don't touch your face-holes, wear a mmask, and don't be a baby if a monster gets in your personal space for a moment. The chances they have Covid are sli to none, the chance of you catching it are even slimmer, and the chance of you actually dying from is, without multiple comorbidities, is around the same as being struck by lightning, or hitting the powerball.
Get out there and have fun!
The full NYS announcement can be seen in full here:
Happy Haunting!
-SC
