The Chinese government reportedly locked down more than 30,000 visitors in Disneyland's Shanghai theme park after one guest tested positive for COVID-19 efforts.
The Wall Street Journal said the Shanghai Disneyland lockdown comes in line with China's "zero tolerance" policy for COVID-19 cases in part of its "eradication efforts" for the pandemic. While ABC7 disclosed that the lockdown took place during the Halloween celebrations in Disneyland and that the guest who tested positive for COVID-19 is said to be a woman.
Deadline, on the other hand, said it was not clear whether the woman tested positive after visiting Shanghai Disneyland or came into contact with someone who had it after the visit. The government officials did not allow the people to leave until after they have tested each visitor to be negative of the virus.
Guests had to wait on queue for hours just to take the COVID-19 test while they watched the fireworks going on. The queue is said to be the longest one visitors had to wait in considering there were 33,863 of them at the park.
The visitors were all released after testing negative for the virus. However, the park remained closed until Tuesday. Officials announced that "it would refund tickets and notify guests as soon as there was a confirmed date for resumption of activities."
"Shanghai Disneyland and Disneytown will resume operations on Wednesday, November 3, 2021, with Shanghai Disneyland operating from 10:00 to 19:00, and Disneytown operating from 10:00 to 21:00," the park's official statement said.
The statement also revealed that Disneyland's employees, including cast members and officials were also tested for COVID-19 and results showed they were negative. The park's employees and officials will nevertheless "strictly following CDC self-health monitoring guidelines."
During the park's closure, officials revealed that measures to curtail infection were conducted in the Shanghai property "according to directives on pandemic prevention and control" of the Chinese government.
Disneyland previously reported suffering a $1.9 billion loss for 2020 against a $365 million operating profit earned this year as of June 30. The park's revenue was recorded at $1 billion last year and jumped to $4.3 billion as of date.
China is said to be imposing "a string of increasingly strict measures" since 14 of its provinces are said to be infected by COVID-19. Part of the measures imposed by the Chinese government include a longer quarantine for visitors upon arrival at three weeks instead of the usual 14 days and an extended two weeks of quarantine for hospitalized individuals. This excludes mandatory testing of all crew personnel for ships before they are allowed to descend at port.
The stricter measures are affecting other entertainment establishments like Shanghai Disneyland. Cinemas are said to be closed in Beijing.
China is said to be so frightened for the cases to blow-up that the increase in 48 cases on Sunday from 43 a week before has really pushed the government to impose lockdowns. A recent lockdown prior to Disneyland's involved six million people lockdown in three cities last week for testing.
