MASON, Ohio — Kings Island kicked off its 2021 season Saturday at 11 a.m., and there are a few changes you'll see compared to last year's shortened season due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Visitors over age 10 will be required to wear masks indoors, though you won't have to wear one if you are actively eating in one of the park's restaurants. You also won't need to wear a mask if you are walking around outdoors or more than 6 feet of other guests.

Masks will be recommended on rides but not required as they were in 2020. The park is also dropping ride limits, so all rows will be filled on coasters and rides.

When visitors arrive, they won't be greeted by the big white screening tents at the entrance seen last season. The park no longer requires temperature checks at the gates or mobile app pre-screening. Instead, the health questionnaire will be conducted by park associates at the front gate.

Reservations were mandatory last year but will only be required for the Soak City water park this year.

Find more information on tickets, Soak City reservations and COVID-19 protocols here.

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Gov. Andy Beshear announced Friday that Kentucky businesses, venues and events can return to full capacity starting June 11.

The state's mask mandate will also be lifted on that day, except in "places where people are most vulnerable," Beshear said. Those restrictions will lift in exactly one month to give children ages 12 to 15 the chance to get the recently authorized Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.

Before that on May 28, businesses and venues can increase capacity to 75%, and that also applies to all events regardless of the number of attendees. Kentucky's midnight last call for bars and restaurants will end that day.

So far, Kentucky has vaccinated nearly 1.9 million people against COVID-19, or about 43% of the state's population.

Starting now, Kentucky's mask mandate is also changing following new CDC guidance Thursday. Fully vaccinated people can now go maskless in most indoor settings without large crowds, but masks are still required in hospitals and nursing homes. Kentucky's mandate, which requires masks in all public settings, will immediately change to fit the new guidance, Beshear said in a video update Thursday.

Team Kentucky

Since March 2020, 451,213 Kentuckians have tested positive for COVID-19 and 6,637 have died of the virus. Currently, 411 Kentuckians are hospitalized for COVID-19, with 117 people in intensive care units and 47 on ventilators.

The state's test positivity rate, one of the key indicators of virus spread, is 3.08%.

NKY Health reports 399 active coronavirus cases in Boone, Campbell, Grant and Kenton counties, and 41,635 people have recovered from the virus Friday. Since the pandemic began, 455 Northern Kentuckians have died from the virus. Track the spread on Kentucky's COVID-19 incidence rate map.

Watch a replay of the briefing in the player below:

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Kentucky businesses, venues and events will be allowed to host more customers and guests, both indoors and outdoors, come Memorial Day weekend.

Beshear's biggest announcement was that by Friday, May 28, all indoor and outdoor businesses, venues and events catering to fewer than 1,000 people will be allowed to operate at 75% capacity. All those catering to more than 1,000 people can move up to 60% capacity, whether indoor or outdoor.

Watch Beshear's full address here:

Ky. Gov. Andy Beshear hints at Memorial Day easing of business, venue and event restrictions

"For seven straight press conferences I've been saying, 'Yes, we will be easing restrictions as we move toward that goal (of 2.5 million Kentuckians vaccinated)," Beshear said. "We're going to do it step by step like we've always done it."

As of Thursday, 1.8 million Kentuckians had gotten at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Beshear went on to explain that the Memorial Day target weekend also will allow public schools to finish out their spring terms while giving business owners time to prepare for the uptick in customers they might expect that holiday weekend.

"This allows our kids to finish up school but also gives notice to all those who might be hosting folks, opening up pools. It's a big restaurant or retail weekend," Beshear said.

Beshear said he expects all of the capacity limits to lift completely this summer, but he did not speculate on a specific date.

Late last month, Beshear relaxed his mask mandate, allowing any outdoor event catering to fewer than 1,000 people to be mask-free.

Beshear also touted April as setting a record for the most sales tax revenue collected in a single month in the history of the commonwealth at $486.5 million.

"This directly shows how people are out, spending," Beshear said. "More people were out everywhere you pay sales tax."