The news that California Gov. Gavin Newsom sent a team to visit out-of-state theme parks to observe their health and safety protocols is "heartening," the California Attractions and Parks Association (CAPA) said.
According to the Orange County Register, Newsom said in a Monday press conference that he sent a team to the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando last week.
"While we absolutely take people's word for information that they provide us, we want to see things for ourselves," the governor said.
What the team learns in Florida will help California with theme park reopening guidelines.
California theme parks have remained closed since March, while parks in other states, including Florida, have been allowed to reopen with new health and safety protocols in place.
Disney officials have pressed the government in California to let it reopen, not only for its own benefit but for the other small businesses in the Anaheim area that benefit from its parks' operation.
Newsom last week said he was in "no hurry" to reopen parks in California. While CAPA blasted those comments, the association said his latest comments are positive.
"Theme parks have developed comprehensive, robust plans for reopening, inclusive of input from international health and safety efforts," CAPA executive director Erin Guerrero said in a statement. "We also have the benefit of experience from theme parks in other states and around the world that have successfully reopened with extensive new protocols and modifications to protect guests and employees.
"Data and science do not point to theme parks as a source of transmission of Covid-19, showing that fighting the pandemic and responsible reopening can occur simultaneously."
Guerrero also said the governor accepted CAPA's invitation to visit California's theme parks and work together toward their reopening.