MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Shanghai Disneyland shut down after one tourist tests positive for COVID-19

Chinese media says an estimated 100,000 people visited the park Saturday and Sunday, all of whom will now need to be tested

Chinese authorities have decided to shut down Disneyland and Disneytown temporarily In Shanghai between Monday and Tuesday out of COVID-19 concerns, it was announced.

The reopening of the facility will be announced once it is decided, according to the Xinhua news service.

Visitors were banned from the premises on Sunday and those who had been allowed in were required to undergo epidemiological tests upon leaving.

A total of 220 shuttle buses were arranged to ferry tourists who as the metro service at Disney Resort station was suspended.

Some 34,000 tourists who had visited Disneyland and Disneytown during the weekend were required to report to their neighbourhood, employer, or school, and submit to nucleic acid tests at a nearby medical institution, Shanghai's epidemic prevention and control headquarters announced Sunday evening.

Shanghai city authorities said the measures had been taken due to a contact tracing investigation after a woman who visited the park Saturday later tested positive in the neighbouring Jiangxi province.

Shanghai announced on Monday that all of the guests who had been tested over the weekend came back negative for COVID-19, according to the Associated Press, but will nevertheless need to be tested again.

Chinese media says an estimated 100,000 people visited the park Saturday and Sunday, all of whom will now need to be tested.

On Chinese social media, frustrated park-goers posted short videos showing thousands of people waiting outside overnight as health workers wearing hazmat suits conducted COVID tests. One showed fireworks exploding in the night sky above throngs of police, public health workers and park guests.

Shanghai Disneyland and Disneytown remained closed on Monday and Tuesday, and officials promised to provide refunds or exchanges to any attendees impacted by the closure. “We will notify guests as soon as we have a confirmed date to resume operations,” Shanghai Disney Resort said in a notice on its website. “Thank you for your understanding and cooperation!”

China closed its borders early in the COVID-19 pandemic to halt the spread of the disease, and it has since imposed citywide lockdowns and other strict public health measures to keep the country's infection rate low.