Japan theme park announces 'no screaming rule' on roller coaster rides due to COVID-19

As the world is grappling with coronavirus and accepting many ‘new normals’, not screaming on a roller coaster ride seems to be the next addition in the list.

Japan’s theme park, Fuji-Q Highland announced on June 17 that visitors who will be riding roller coasters at the attraction will need to stay quiet and composed when on the ride.

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In a unique video announcement, which now has more than 42,000 views on YouTube, two high-ranked executives of the park are donned in formal attire – one even wearing a suit and tie – and they’re seen giving a ‘demonstration’ of how patrons can keep a poker face while “screaming inside their hearts,” according to a message at the end of the video. The video has since gone viral.

In order to make the most out of the new measure and encourage visitors to follow the rule, the park announced a challenge, #KeepaSeriousFace, which will go on till July 17 and the winners will receive free day passes, BBC reported.

“Fuji-Q Highland in [sic] after having taken a variety of infection various [sic] measures, the business has resumed. Among them, the guideline of the Amusement Park Association urges to “do not speak loudly.” We have received voices saying that it is “strict” and “impossible.” Therefore, we have sent a model video to everyone from Fuji-Q Highland,” the park said in a statement.

Although Fuji-Q Highland reopened its doors on June 1, a set of guidelines, including the no-screaming rule, was released in late May by the East and West Japan Theme Park Association. The rules have been implemented at most theme parks across Japan, Business Insider reported.

The move comes in the wake of COVID-19 to ensure public health and safety. The bizarre precautionary measure is put in place so that virus droplets don’t come flying out of riders’ mouths at 80mph.

It remains unclear how this measure will be implemented but an inability to abide would not lead to penalization, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The amusement park closed on March 1 and allowed entry to all Japanese residents from June 19.

Japan has a total of 20,174 cases of COVID-19 with 980 deaths and up to 17 thousand recovered cases.