Shanghai Disney Resort shuts down with visitors stuck inside amid COVID curbs in China

Activities in Shanghai’s Disney Resort came to a halt on Monday, when the management decided to abruptly shut down the park and restrict visitors from leaving the area until they tested negative for the contagious virus, CNN reported. The resort, at 11:39 am on Monday, announced that it is closing the theme park and other areas like the shopping street indefinitely in order to comply with COVID-19 norms. However, as per reports by social media users, the park did not shut down its rides during the closure as visitors awaited their test results.

The Shanghai government, issuing a statement on its official WeChat handle, said that patrons will not be allowed to enter or exit the park, and those who are stuck inside the area will have to wait for their COVID-19 test results to come back in order to leave the location. It further added that visitors who have been to the park since October 27 will be required to test for COVID-19 thrice in three consecutive days. 

Shanghai’s Disney Resort & its history of shutdowns

A spokesperson of Shanghai Disney Resort stated that the resort was still continuing operations of “limited offerings” and was adhering to the guidelines received from Chinese health authorities. Earlier on Saturday, the resort had revealed that it had been running operations with a lesser number of employees to abide by COVID-19 preventive measures.

The resort is located in the heart of Shanghai, where 10 locally transmitted cases were reported on October 30, but none of the infected showed symptoms of the virus. The recent shutdown does not mark the first time that Shanghai Disney Resort has been closed.

Earlier this year, the tourist attraction was closed for more than three months when Shanghai went into a strict lockdown. Moreover, in November, the park was closed for two days, when 30,000 visitors were stuck inside as they were tested in a contact tracing protocol.