Disneyland Postpones Reopening Following Rise Of COVID-19 Cases
Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park in Anaheim had planned on reopening on July 17, yet the state of California has withdrawn its clearance for that date after a surge in coronavirus cases. On June 23, the state registered 7,149 confirmed cases of COVID-19, a new record.
In a statement, Disney said the state would not issue theme reopening guidelines until after July 4, which will complicate the reopening since the company has to rehire thousands of park and hotel employees. Despite the delay in reopening the parks, the Downtown Disney shopping and dining district, which is part of the Disneyland Resort, is scheduled to reopen on July 9.
According to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s communications director Nathan Click, the governor appreciates the company’s collaboration given the recent increases in COVID-19 infections in numerous Southern California counties. The state will continue to work closely with Disney as well as other theme parks as it attempts to contain the spread of the virus.
Unions representing Disney park employees had previously expressed their concerns about reopening the parks too soon, fearing it would put staff and guests at risk during the pandemic. On June 17, the Coalition of Resort Labor Unions sent an open letter to the governor reiterating their apprehension.
On that same day Dr. Pamela Hymel, Disney Parks chief medical officer, posted a message on Disneyland’s official blog, stating that the company would take a flexible approach to reopening by working closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and implementing recommendations from health and safety experts.
She added that the company was also cooperating with industry groups and research universities to determine best health practices, including, limiting capacity, performing temperature checks for guests, enhancing cleaning and disinfecting, especially in high-traffic areas, encouraging social distancing, requiring face masks for guests over two, and allowing contactless payments as well as providing handwashing and hand sanitizer stations.
Disneyland and Walt Disney World have been shuttered since mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In Orlando, the theme park and resort will reopen next month and will host the rest of the NBA and MLS seasons even though coronavirus cases in Florida have been on the rise. According to the Department of Health, there were 5,508 new coronavirus cases as of midnight on Tuesday and 44 more deaths related to COVID-19.
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