Six Flags Over Georgia suspends operations over coronavirus concerns
AUSTELL, Ga. - Six Flags Over Georgia is shutting down amid coronavirus concerns, officials said.
The park has temporarily suspended operations until the end of March, at which time officials say they will re-evaluate the situation.
"While there have been no reported cases of COVID-19 at this property, the safety of our guests and team members is always our highest priority. We will continue to closely monitor these evolving conditions, and will follow the most current guidance from federal, state, and local officials," Six Flags Over Georgia released in a statement.
Guests seeking information about a previously scheduled visit have been advised to visit https://sixflags.com/overgeorgia/coronavirus
Full statement from Six Flags CEO Mike Spanos:
Dear Valued Guests,
We understand that these are challenging and unusual times. Our goal is to support our team members and our communities by never compromising the safety of guests or employees. Since the onset of COVID-19, we have followed the guidance of federal, state, and local authorities. As of today, many states have declared a state of emergency and are recommending that all non-essential gatherings of large groups be postponed or canceled.
Given that direction, we have made the decision to delay the opening or temporarily suspend the operations for the following parks through the end of March, at which time we will re-evaluate on a park-by-park basis:
- Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California
- Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, California
- Hurricane Harbor Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona
- Six Flags Over Georgia in Austell, Georgia
- Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, Texas
- Six Flags Fiesta Texas in San Antonio, Texas
- Frontier City in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Six Flags St. Louis in Eureka, Missouri
- Six Flags America in Upper Marlboro, Maryland
- Six Flags Great Escape Lodge & Indoor Waterpark in Lake George, New York
We will continue to closely monitor the latest developments and follow the guidance from federal, state, and local officials.
For additional information about COVID-19, please read the latest report from the Centers for Disease Control at www.cdc.gov, or your local health department website.
On behalf of everyone at Six Flags, thank you for your trust in us. I look forward to seeing you out in our parks.
LIVE: INTERACTIVE MAP TRACKS GLOBAL SPREAD OF COVID-19
As of Friday afternoon there were 42 cases of coronavirus in the State of Georgia, according to the Department of Public Health.
On Thursday, officials announced the first coronavirus related death in the state, a 67-year-old man.
More than a dozen school districts across metro Atlanta have announced they will close for two weeks, or until further notice, to deter the spread of COVID-19. Most of those school systems said they hope to continue delivering lessons online to more than 700,000 students.
Additionally, Georgia's 26 public colleges and universities will close for two weeks starting Monday.
Other parks and resorts across the country have also closed their doors temporarily. Walt Disney World in Florida, Disneyland in California, along with Universal Studios have suspended operations through the end of the month.