Shanghai Disneyland Shuts Down Due to COVID, With Guests Still Inside
All guests tested negative and were permitted to leave the theme park.
- I've been covering technology and mobile for 12 years, first as a telecommunications reporter and assistant editor at ZDNet in Australia, then as CNET's West Coast head of breaking news, and now in the Thought Leadership team.
Shanghai Disneyland has again shut its gates indefinitely due to COVID-19 concerns. This time, however, Monday's abrupt closure left guests stuck inside the theme park unable to leave until they produced a negative COVID test.
The guests weren't immediately permitted to leave Shanghai Disneyland, because of China's zero-COVID policy, the BBC reported. Like other businesses operating in Shanghai, Disney is required to follow standard procedures, a Disney spokesperson told CNET via email.
The tests on all guests came back with negative results, a Disney spokesperson said, and all guests exited the park by early Tuesday.
Video purportedly showing thousands of guests trapped inside the amusement park was posted on social media Monday night. According to the BBC, rides continued to operate while visitors remained stranded inside.
The Shanghai Disneyland website remains down, with Disney working on a reopening plan.
Citing a Shanghai government post on WeChat, the BBC reported that people who've visited Shanghai Disneyland since Oct. 27 are being required to produce three negative COVID tests over three consecutive days.