North County Supervisor Jim Desmond says: “We have to help San Diegans get back to work before it’s too late.” Photo via Twitter

San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond and other leaders from North San Diego County met Friday with Legoland California staff to call for safe business openings in light of declining COVID-19 numbers.

Desmond said that the second round of business closures, on July 12, unfairly penalized businesses who say they are ready to safely reopen.

“Businesses are frustrated by a lack of support from the state of California,” Desmond said. “We are seeing more and more businesses close permanently; we have to help San Diegans get back to work before it’s too late.”

The North County leaders gathered at Legoland in Carlsbad and called for all businesses closed on July 12th to be reopened as well as additional businesses such as theme parks, libraries, invitation-only receptions and meeting rooms, street fairs and live music.

Many businesses have been forced to shut down for nearly six months, which has led to record-high unemployment in San Diego County — at one point topping 20%, according to the Employment Development Department. Legoland has been closed since March 14.

“Legoland is ready and eager to open once the state and county guidelines are given,” said Kurt Stocks, Legoland California resort president. “All health and safety guidelines that have been approved for other San Diego attractions can easily be observed at our park and our measures go above and beyond to keep our guests and employees safe.”

The park employs nearly 3,000 people in San Diego County and is one of the largest employers in North County.

“Legoland is a wonderful regional partner that is the heart of tourism for Carlsbad,” said Carlsbad Mayor Matt Hall. “We’ve seen other theme parks open in San Diego, it’s vital for our economy that we get Legoland back open.”

— City News Service