Petition circulates to nix Kings Island’s face mask policy

A petition is circulating to nix the face mask requirement for visitors to the Kings Island amusement park. The change.org petition, which has gathered more than 1,000 signatures, aims to get the attention of the Cedar Fair amusement park, which announced plans to reopen in July with new visitor guidelines. Among those guidelines is mandatory face masks for visitors and employees. “The heat and humidity alone will make this very difficult to do. Don’t force your children to do this! Stand up for our rights! Many people have paid for passes and now won’t get to use them,” the petition reads in part. The park will be open initially for season pass holders on July 2 through July 11 and to everyone on July 12.“We are ready to welcome our guests back to Kings Island for some long-overdue fun,” said Mike Koontz, general manager of Kings Island. “The safety of our guests and associates has always been and will always be our top priority. The park’s new health and safety protocols align with CDC recommendations and have been shaped by information from company and industry health and safety experts, along with our state and local government officials.”New protocols to create a safe and clean environment include:A new online reservation system; each guest is required to have a reservation prior to their visit to enable capacity managementA requirement to complete a pre-visit health screening declaration 24 hours prior to admissionA touchless temperature screening prior to entering the facility for both guests and associatesRequirements for all guests, associates and vendors to wear masks as directed by the protocolsSocial distancing markers throughout the park, including ride queue linesLimited guest/associate contactEnhanced cleaning procedures, including additional deep cleaning and sanitization of restrooms, dining facilities and other busy areasAdditional hand sanitization stationsCapacity management throughout the park.Kings Island said all guests 3 years old and older will be required to wear masks, even on the rides.