Walt Disney World Resort has begun to reopen in Florida despite a Covid-19 surge across the US state.
Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom opened on Saturday. Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios are expected to restart their operation from 15 July.
In addition, Disney has resumed limited operations at its four parks in Asia, and at Disney Springs – an outdoor shopping mall in Orlando.
Some of Disney competitors, SeaWorld Orlando and Universal Orlando, reopened to visitors several weeks ago.
Visitors at Disney parks will be required to wear masks and other safety measures will be introduced across the complex in Orlando.
More than a quarter of a million cases of coronavirus have been reported in Florida, along with 4,200 deaths.
Disney closed the resort in March for the first time during the early months of America’s pandemic. While Covid-19 infections were mostly concentrated in New York and California at first, Florida is among the several states recording a rise in cases in recent weeks.
Josh D’Amaro, Disney’s theme park chairman, said in an interview with the New York Times that “the world is changing”, but they strongly believe that they can open “safely and responsibly.”
Due to health and safety measures, the company has a responsibility to “figure out the best approach” to safely operate “in this new normal.”
According to BBC.