Coney Island to re-open for the brave on April 9

By Amelia Anthony

If the past year hasn’t been enough of a roller coaster for you, more options are coming soon. Coney Island and other outdoor amusement parks can reopen starting April 9, according to an announcement from Governor Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday. Parks will need to adhere to a set list of reopening requirements, including mandatory facial coverings and social distancing and a 33 percent capacity limit. Because what’s more thrilling that wondering if you’ll contract a potentially deadly virus?

Brooklyn’s Coney Island is especially ready to welcome back attendees to its parks, which were closed for the full 2020 season.

“It’s finally the word that we were waiting for! Advance notice means thousands of summer workers can be hired and the amusement neighborhood saved,” says Dick Zigun, co-founder and artistic director of nonprofit arts group Coney Island USA. “That said, indoor sideshows and huge crowds for a Mermaid Parade might have to wait until fall? Personally I get my second vaccination on Monday and can’t wait to promote whatever opens first.”

Deno’s Wonder Wheel Amusement Park plans to celebrate the 100th anniversary of its eponymous attraction, the Wonder Wheel (which was supposed to have been celebrated in 2020). A new coaster, the Phoenix, will open at Deno’s this year.

Indoor arcades and entertainment centers can open sooner, starting March with 25 percent capacity. Summer camps, both day and overnight, can plan on reopening this summer as well.

“In New York, we base our decisions on the science and data and adjust as the virus adjusts,” Cuomo said. “With continued decreases in the infection and hospitalization rates, we have been able to take steps toward beginning our post-COVID recovery and we are excited to now be in a place where we can bring back our recreational industries with safety protocols in place.

Despite New York’s decreased infections, the state still has the second-highest rate per capita in the nation.