Knott's Berry Farm Closes During Coronavirus Shutdown

BUENA PARK, CA —The unprecedented times continue at southern California theme parks. On Friday, Knott's Berry Farm announced Friday morning it will temporarily close through the end of the month due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Park officials will continue to follow guidance from local and state officials, as well as the Centers for Disease Control, they said in a recent statement.

While there have been no confirmed cases of the COVID-19 at the Knott's properties, "we believe this is the right decision for our guests, associates, and community," a theme park spokesperson said.

Life in southern California is ripe for change during the time of "social distancing." This week, the Center for Disease Control and California Gov. Gavin Newsom asked all California residents to keep out of crowds of 250 or more, though initially excluded theme parks from that order due to "unique circumstances," according to Newsom. Disneyland Resort announced this week, of their own volition, that they would close both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure through the end of March. By Friday, the majority of resorts decided on their own to close their gates also until March 31.

Knott's Berry Farm guests who have prepaid tickets to the park will need to work with the park, which is amenable to helping them make things work during the temporary closure.

"Our guests and associates are considered family," the statement said. "We have their well-being at the forefront of our decision-making. We are committed to responding to questions and requests over the days and weeks ahead and appreciate everyone's continued support and patience as we manage through this ongoing situation."

As of this report, there are currently six known and presumed cases of positive coronavirus in Orange County, according to the Orange County Healthcare Agency.

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City News Service, Patch Editor Ashley Ludwig, contributed to this report.