June 15, 2021, marks the official end of many tight pandemic restrictions for vaccinated individuals in the state of California – including the policies implemented at Universal Studios Hollywood. These include mask mandates, out-of-state visitor restrictions, capacity limits, and social distancing requirements.
To celebrate California’s progress in combatting the COVID-19 pandemic through the help of efficient vaccines – marking a significant recovery after a devastating winter of case surges – California Governor Gavin Newsom visited Universal Studios Hollywood to deliver a speech alongside a handful of other public figures and invited guests, including Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis, Senator Robert Hertzberg, and the first person in California to receive a COVID-19 vaccine: Helen Cordova.
The Governor began by addressing the many challenges the state of California – particularly, Los Angeles County – has faced, including its once high case positivity rate and alarming number of hospitalizations and deaths. However, he expressed cautious optimism that the current upward progress will likely continue if individuals opt to get vaccinated – either now or when a vaccine becomes available for them. To provide an extra incentive for hesitant individuals, California is currently holding a regular “Vax for the Win” lottery, in which any vaccinated resident may be chosen to win a cash prize. At this event alone, ten more winners were prominently selected.
Although June 15 may seem like an arbitrary date to many, Governor Newsom explained that it represents a significant turning point of regrowth for California’s economy and overall livelihood. This includes sectors and businesses such as theme parks and entertainment, which have been heavily impacted by restrictions. Current projections indicate that the state is a positive economic trajectory moving forward.
Of course, one simply could not celebrate such monumental progress at Universal Studios Hollywood without the appearance of many guest-favorite theme park characters, including Optimus Prime and Bumblebee, Minions, Trolls, Shrek, and the baby velociraptor with its trainer from Jurassic World. The event culminated in a burst of confetti and smiles all around, with a sense of genuine optimism abundant among the crowd; an atmosphere like no other after over a year dominated by pessimistic thinking for many.
As we all celebrate the light at the end of the tunnel for many in California, we would be remiss if we didn’t acknowledge all those who have lost their lives or loved ones to the COVID-19, as well as the countless other people and countries around the world still struggling to combat the pandemic and its concurrent devastating economic impact. We sincerely thank all the frontline workers who have repeatedly risked their own lives to save others and have played a vital role in helping us reach this brighter point we’ve all fought hard to reach today.
Inside Universal graciously thanks Universal Studios Hollywood for inviting us out to witness this momentous occasion, and we look forward to more sunny days ahead.
You can watch the full press conference below:
