Shanghai Disney Resort abruptly suspended operations on Monday to implement preventive measures against COVID-19, and all visitors present at the time of the announcement were ordered to remain in the park until they tested negative for the coronavirus, Reuters and Agerpres reported.
The complex announced at 11:39 a.m. local time (03:39 GMT) that it would immediately close the main theme park and surrounding areas, including the shopping street, until further notice to comply with measures to combat the spread of the virus.
The Shanghai government said on its official WeChat account that it is forbidden to enter or leave the park, and all visitors to the park must wait for the test results before they can leave the park. All people who visited the park after Oct. 27 must be tested for COVID-19 three times within three days, authorities said.
Rides continued to operate for visitors who had to stay in the park on Monday after the closure was announced, social media users reported. A Shanghai Disney Resort representative said the park still has “limited offers” and is following the recommendations of Chinese health authorities.
The park announced Saturday that it has begun operating with a reduced number of employees to comply with measures to combat COVID-19. Shanghai reported 10 cases of local transmission of the coronavirus as of October 30, all asymptomatic.
Disney Resort Visitors, Latest Victims of China’s ‘Zero Covid’ Policy.
Monday’s park closure marks the latest disruption at Shanghai Disney Resort, which was closed for more than three months during Shanghai’s lockdown earlier this year.
In May, the local authorities decided to place even people with a negative test for the coronavirus under forced quarantine.
The park was also closed for two days last November when more than 30,000 visitors were stranded inside after authorities ordered them all to be screened as part of a contact-tracing exercise.
Videos circulating on the Chinese social network Weibo on Monday showed people rushing to the park’s gates, which had already been closed. Reuters could not verify the authenticity of those records, and the Shanghai Disney Resort did not respond to questions about the number of people trapped, the news agency said.
Local authorities continue to introduce unexpected and extreme measures in China to eliminate any possibility of transmission of the virus after some cases appear, in accordance with the ultra-strict “zero tolerance” protocol for COVID-19.
The Universal Studios theme park in the capital Beijing reopened on Monday after being closed for five days also due to Covid-19 measures.
Source: Hot News RU
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