Shanghai Disney shuts over COVID, visitors unable to leave
17:44 JST, October 31, 2022
Shanghai’s Disney Resort abruptly suspended operations on Monday to comply with COVID-19 prevention measures, with all visitors at the time of the announcement directed to stay in the park until they return a negative test for the virus.
The resort said at 11:39 a.m. local time (03:39 GMT) it would immediately shut the main theme park and surrounding areas including its shopping street until further notice to comply with virus curbs.
The Shanghai government said on its official WeChat account the park was barring people from entering or exiting and that all visitors inside the site would need to await the results of their tests before they could leave.
Anyone who had visited the park since Oct. 27 would need to test for COVID-19 three times in three days, it said.
The theme park continued to operate rides for visitors stuck in the park during the closure on Monday, social media users reported.
A Shanghai Disney Resort spokesperson said the resort was still operating “limited offerings” and that they were following measures in line with guidelines from Chinese health authorities.
The resort had on Saturday said that it had started operating with a reduced workforce to comply with COVID measures.
Shanghai reported 10 locally transmitted cases for Oct. 30, all of which it said were people without symptoms.
The closure marks the latest disruption for the Shanghai Disney Resort, which was shut for over three months during Shanghai’s lockdown earlier this year.
The park was also closed for two days in November last year with more than 30,000 visitors stuck inside, after authorities ordered all of them to be tested in a contact tracing exercise.
Videos circulating on China’s Weibo platform on Monday showed people rushing to the park’s gates, which were already locked.
Reuters was not able to verify the authenticity of the videos and the Shanghai Disney Resort did not respond when asked about on how many visitors were inside.
Local authorities across China have continued to impose abrupt and extreme measures to cut any possibility of virus transmission once cases arise, in line with the country’s ultra-strict zero-tolerance approach towards COVID-19.
The Universal Resort in the country’s capital of Beijing reopened on Monday after a five day closure, which was also prompted by virus measures.
"News Services" POPULAR ARTICLE
-
Israel Strikes Suspected Chemical Weapons Sites and Long-range Rockets in Syria
-
Japan’s Nikkei Stock Average Ends Higher in Choppy Trade (UPDATE 1)
-
Japan’s Nikkei Stock Average Slips on Firmer Yen amid BOJ Rate Hike Bets; Logs Worst Month since April (Update 1)
-
South Korea Ex-Defense Minister Accused of Role in Martial Law Tries to Commit Suicide, Official Says
-
Japan’s Nikkei Stock Average Ends Lower as Traders Book Profits, Assess US Data (Update 1)
JN ACCESS RANKING
- Japan’s Kansai Economic Delegation Meets China Vice Premier, Confirm Cooperation; China Called to Expand Domestic Demand
- Yomiuri Stock Index to Launch in March; 333 Companies to be Equally Weighted
- China to Test Mine for Rare Metals Off Japan Island; Japan Lagging in Technologies Needed for Extraction
- Miho Nakayama, Japanese Actress and Singer, Found Dead at Her Tokyo Residence; She was 54 (UPDATE 1)
- Risk of Nuclear Weapons Being Used Greater Than Ever; Support Growing in Russia As Ukraine War Continues