America's top two states for theme parks are expanding the number of people eligible to get Covid vaccines. Californians age 50 and older will be eligible to sign up starting April 1, while all Californians ages 16 and older can sign up starting April 15.
In Florida, people ages 50 and older can sign up for the vaccine right now, and that restriction goes down to ages 40 and older on Monday, March 29. All Floridians ages 18 and older will be eligible starting April 5.
Not only should that help address the concerns of Disney cast members who had been lobbying for vaccine eligibility, the wider availability of vaccines might help convince more Americans to resume traveling to destinations such as theme parks this summer.
President Biden has said that all American adults should be eligible for vaccination by May 1, and today's announcements from the two state governors will put California and Florida ahead of that deadline. Now the question is how quickly people eager to get vaccinated will be able to sign up and complete their vaccination schedules.
Capacity limits remain in place at most theme parks nationwide and California's theme parks will be limited to California residents only when they start reopening next month. But if vaccination rates can reverse rising Covid infection rates in some states while bringing overall infection rates down nationwide, the theme park industry should be in position to take advantage when more Americans decide that it is safe for them to travel again.
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