Disney's Shanghai Park Shut Down Following Reported COVID-19 Case

Shanghai Disneyland, the Walt Disney Co.’s DIS Chinese-based theme park, will be shut down through at least Tuesday after a reported COVID-19 case trapped nearly 34,000 within the attraction on Sunday.

What Happened: According to Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post, 33,863 people in Shanghai Disneyland were required to undergo COVID testing following a report that a woman from Hangzhou who had been at the park on Saturday tested positive for the disease.

The managers of Shanghai Disneyland and Disneytown, an extension of the park that includes shops and restaurants, stated their facilities will be closed until further notice.

Bloomberg reported the testing at Shanghai Disneyland ran until nearly midnight and all tests came back negative. However, those who were tested will be required to isolate at home for two days and take a follow-up test in two weeks. The Shanghai office for COVID prevention and control called on visitors to the theme park on Saturday to be tested for the virus at their nearest hospital.

Shanghai Disneyland did not provide an official reopening date for its attractions.

Related Link: Production Begins On Disney Streaming Series Starring The Kardashians

Why It's Important: China has been dealing with a new COVID outbreak since mid-October and reported 59 locally acquired cases on Monday, the highest daily number outbreak began.

The timing of the new outbreak is particularly perilous for China, which is scheduled to host the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing in less than 100 days. China’s government has not offered any contingency plan for postponing the games if the COVID outbreak expands into early next year.

Photo: Ryutaro Koma / Flickr Creative Commons.