Hong Kong Disneyland Will Close Again Amid Coronavirus Spike

Rebecca Davis
·2 min read

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Hong Kong Disneyland will shutter again starting on July 15 due to a spike in cases of coronavirus, after about a month back in operation. It was the second of Disney’s 14 parks worldwide to resume business since the advent of COVID-19 on June 18, following Shanghai Disneyland’s May 11 re-opening.

“As required by the government and health authorities in line with prevention efforts taking place across Hong Kong, Hong Kong Disneyland park will temporarily close from July 15,” a Disney spokesperson confirmed to Variety.

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The resort’s hotels will “remain open with adjusted levels of service,” the spokesperson added, saying that they have “put in place enhanced health and safety measures that reflect the guidance of health and government authorities” like social distancing measures and better cleaning and sanitation.

Shanghai Disneyland remains open — albeit with a limited number of tickets available each day bookable only by advanced reservation online.

Hong Kong’s closure stands in stark contrast to the re-opening of Walt Disney World in Florida. The Orlando-based venue opened up a large portion of its parks over the weekend to visitors despite record-breaking coronavirus case counts in the state that far outstrip the surge Hong Kong is currently experiencing.

The Florida Department of Health reported 15,299 new coronavirus cases Sunday. The state currently has 269,803 cases, with 4,241 deaths.

In contrast, Hong Kong recorded 52 new cases of coronavirus on Monday, including 41 that were locally transmitted, according to local health authorities. The city has been home to 1,522 cases and eight deaths since late January.

Despite the ballooning number of coronavirus cases, Disney World reopened its Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom parks Saturday. Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios will reopen July 15.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong authorities on Monday announced a program of stricter social distancing measures to combat a feared third wave of the virus there, limiting group gatherings once more to just four people, down from 50, and ordering 12 types of businesses, including cinemas, to shut for a week. Restaurants must now stop serving after 6 p.m., and schools have again been shuttered.

On Monday, the Hong Kong Book Fair set to begin Wednesday announced it would be pushed back indefinitely, while at least three other large expos and events scheduled for July were also postponed.

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