While some pandemic recovery has reached heavily impacted industries like restaurants and theaters, theme parks are having a tough time winning over government leaders to allow their doors to open to the public. Some U.S. states have allowed theme parks to open at a limited capacity and follow strict social distancing guidelines, but parks in California have been unable to open since mid-March, impacting parks like Disneyland (DIS  ) and Universal Studios Hollywood (CMCSA  ) and leading to massive layoffs.

This long period of forced closures in California has unsurprisingly led to backlash from park executives. Nevertheless, California health officials issued new guidelines on Tuesday that said that large theme parks will be able to reopen in areas with less than 1 coronavirus case per 100,000 residents in the county they operate in, that being the lowest tier in a list that ranges from minimal spread to widespread.

Currently Orange County, where both of Disney's California parks are located, has about 5 cases per 100,000 residents, and Los Angeles County, where Universal operates, has over 10 cases per 100,000.

"We have proven that we can responsibly reopen, with science-based health and safety protocols strictly enforced at our theme park properties around the world," Ken Potrock, president of Disneyland Resort, wrote in a statement on Twitter (TWTR  ) on Tuesday. "Nevertheless, the State of California continues to ignore this fact, instead mandating arbitrary guidelines that it knows are unworkable and that hold us to a standard vastly different from other reopened businesses and state-operated facilities."

Portrock added that the "State guidelines will keep us shuttered for the foreseeable future, forcing thousands more people out of work...and irreparably devastating the Anaheim/Southern California community."

The Californian Attractions and Parks Association Director Erin Guerrero stated during a press conference on Wednesday that theme parks in the state could explore legal actions to pressure the local government to rethink the strict measures.

Outbreak Update

The coronavirus outbreak in the United States has been rapidly expanding, with hospitalizations also increasing in many states. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention official stated on Wednesday that new cases are rapidly expanding "really in all parts of the country."

"Unfortunately, we are seeing a distressing trend," Jay Butler, the agency's deputy director for infectious diseases, told reporters on a call, quoted by CNBC. Butler noted that the Midwest was particularly experiencing a high transmission rate.

New infections are forecasted increase rapidly as the U.S. enters its colder months as the public will tend to meet more indoors. Yet, Butler believes that new surge in cases are already beginning to trend throughout the county. The United States daily infections have totaled above 50,000 for the past several days, similar to trends seen back in July.