Disney Mandates Indoor Face Masks At US Theme Parks

Starting on Friday, Walt Disney Co DIS will require visitors ages 2 and up at its U.S. theme parks to wear masks in all indoor venues and park-based transportation, regardless of whether the individual has been vaccinated against COVID-19.

What Happened: The policy change comes in response to a resurgence of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. due to the highly transmissible Delta variant, which has been shown to infect individuals who have already been vaccinated.

Disney had dropped its mask mandates for vaccinated visitors at its California and Florida attractions on June 15 in response to the decline in U.S. COVID cases. The reversal follows a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendation issued on Tuesday that called on “fully vaccinated people to wear a mask in public indoor settings in areas of substantial or high transmission.”

Face masks will not be required when walking outside on the theme park grounds

Related Link: Netflix Mandates COVID-19 Vaccinations For Actors And Surrounding Crews On US Productions

What Else Happened: On Wednesday, Mayor Jerry L. Demings of Orange County, Florida, issued a state of emergency in response to a local spike in COVID-19 cases and called on residents to start wearing masks indoors. The county includes Orlando, home to Disney’s Florida attractions.

In California, the city of Anaheim — home to the Disneyland Resort — issued a mask mandate on June 30 that supported the state’s June 18 guidance on wearing face coverings in public.

Photo: PxFuel.