As China grapples with rare protests, Shanghai Disneyland shuts over Covid curbs once again
Simone McCarthy, CNN Business
Shanghai Disneyland has been closed again because of China’s Covid restrictions, just days after reopening following a previous pandemic-related closure.
The theme park will close from Tuesday, November 29 “to follow the requirement of pandemic prevention and control,” Shanghai Disney Resort said in a statement on Tuesday. “We will notify guests as soon as we have a confirmed date to resume operations.”
Disneytown, Wishing Star Park and two resort hotels will continue to operate normally, Shanghai Disney Resort said, adding that it will provide refunds or exchanges for all guests impacted during this period.
Shanghai Disneyland had just reopened on November 25 after a pandemic-related closure on October 31, according to a notice from Shanghai Municipal People’s Government on November 26.
Disneytown, Wishing Star Park and Shanghai Disneyland Hotel reopened earlier on November 17, but November 25 marked the resort’s return to full operations after the closure on October 31, according to the notice.
At the time of the previous closure, which had come without any warning, all visitors were directed to stay in the park until they showed a negative test for the virus.
Shanghai Disneyland had also taken a three-month hiatus earlier this year. It was closed in March as China’s financial hub battled a steep rise in Covid cases. The city imposed a strict lockdown shortly after, confining millions of residents to their homes and forcing shops and restaurants to close.
The decision to close Disneyland once again comes following nationwide protests over the weekend in a rare show of dissent against the ruling Communist Party.
For the first time in decades, thousands of people have defied Chinese authorities to protest at universities and on the streets of major cities, demanding to be freed not only from incessant Covid tests and lockdowns, but strict censorship and the Communist Party’s tightening grip over all aspects of life.
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