Walt Disney Co announced on Tuesday that it will stick to its plans of reopening its Walt Disney World theme parks in Orlando, Florida on Saturday to a small number of visitors.
Cases of COVID-19 in Florida have risen in the last month, with the daily count of the state peaking at 10,000 three times in the last week. The fatality rate from COVID-19 increased almost 19 percent in the last week, taking the death toll of the state to over 3,800.
Several employees signed a petition urging the amusements group to postpone the reopening of Walt Disney World. In March, the resort, home of the most-visited theme parks in the world, was closed to guests.
Only California and New York have reported more cases of the virus than Florida. However, when measured in terms of the number of cases per 100,000 people, Florida placed No. 15 in the US on Tuesday. In Orange County, where the Disney parks are situated, 14,768 COVID-19 cases have been reported.
Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom will open their doors to guests on July 11, with Hollywood Studios and Epcot scheduled to follow on July 15. The popular Orlando theme park has been shut to the public since March 14.
Visits to Disney World, however, will look a little different in the midst of the ongoing health crisis. Visitors must register attendance via the Disney Park pass reservation system, wear a face mask and get temperature checks before entering some locations, based on a coronavirus update page, among other safety measures in the fight against the disease.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday disclosed that Disney World will be a "safe environment" when its theme parks reopen for business this weekend. In a media briefing in The Villages, the governor was asked whether Disney reopening in the wake of increasing cases of COVID-19 was still a good idea. DeSantis stated the theme parks have done a good job, citing Universal Orlando, which reopened its parks last month, as an example.
CNN Travel interviewed Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious diseases expert at Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, in late May prior to the recent spike of coronavirus cases in Florida. Schaffner cautioned then that people in high-risk groups -- the elderly and those with underlying health issues -- should give serious thought about visiting the theme parks
On Tuesday, Disney released a health update from its chief medical officer, Dr. Pamela Hymel, on coronavirus safety measures. The health blog stated that from increased disinfecting across Disney parks and resorts, to updated health policies, they have reimagined the Disney experience so everyone can enjoy the magic responsibly, Forrest Brown of CNN, wrote.
