Universal Studios Hollywood is expanding its COVID-19 entry requirements for younger guests to align with a new Los Angeles County order.
Beginning immediately, all guests ages 5 and older visiting the theme park will have to provide proof of either:
- COVID-19 vaccination, and be 14 days past their final dose
- Negative antigen, or “rapid” test taken within 24 hours
- Negative PCR test taken within 48 hours
At-home tests will not be accepted. A testing site is available on Universal property for unvaccinated guests.
The change is a result of a new order issued in L.A. County Thursday for “mega events,” which include outdoor gatherings of more than 10,000 people, such as theme parks. Previously, the vaccination and testing requirements only applied to ages 12 and up.
Other COVID-19 policies remain the same: Face masks are still required to be worn both indoors and outdoors at Universal Hollywood, and only indoors at Universal CityWalk.
The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine was authorized for use in kids ages 5 to 11 in early November after going through multiple phases of clinical testing, as well as a review by expert panels at both the FDA and CDC, and being found to be safe and effective in preventing symptomatic cases of COVID-19.
As of Dec. 15, the American Academy of Pediatrics said 24 percent of the children aged 5-11 in California have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
L.A. County’s other major park, Six Flags Magic Mountain, has yet to announce a change to its vaccination or testing policies, but it will be subject to the same requirements as Universal.
The Valencia park has only had to enforce the policy on its busiest days when it meets the county’s 10,000-visitor threshold to be classified as a “mega-event.” According to Magic Mountain’s current calendar, the policy will be in effect from Dec. 26 through Jan. 3, as well as Jan. 8.