Walt Disney World Resort officially reopened two of its four entertainment parks - the Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom - on a hot Saturday after being shut because of the ongoing global health crisis. Epcot Studios and Hollywood Studios are set to reopen Monday, reports said.
All eyes were on Disney World over the last few days as it buckled down to work to welcome back visitors on reopening day - one day short of four months after it closed.
With the recent outbreak in COVID-19 infections in Florida, some have questioned whether the opening day should have been postponed. Yet thousands of customers marched through the doors on Saturday morning to be among the first ones to reenter the Magic Kingdom.
Florida's popular theme park was back in business in a state heavily battered by the virus, as a fresh warning was given by the World Health Organization that countries should step up pandemic restrictions.
Despite social distancing and safety procedures in place, hundreds of people in face masks and others with red Mickey Mouse ears lined up to enter the Magic Kingdom.
On Friday, the WHO urged countries dealing with coronavirus to strengthen prevention measures, saying it's still possible to rein it in, as some countries imposed new restrictions on its people.
The state of Florida is among the hardest-hit by a new series of infections and fatalities in the United States, which is already the most impacted nation in the world in terms of the rise in cases and deaths.
On Saturday, Florida registered its third-biggest daily spike in fresh infections with 10,360, including 95 deaths. In total, the US has reported almost 135,000 mortality out of 3.2 million COVID-19 cases.
For the park reopening, visitors have been required to have their temperatures checked, not at the park entrance, but to get on the vehicle that transports them to the park. The process is simple and fast.
Bag checks have been reduced as much as possible. Previously, each bag was thoroughly inspected. Now, visitors are asked to remove any big metal objects from their bags, then have those bags pass through metal detectors. Health and safety measures have been compulsory at amusement parks as they open.
The novel coronavirus has claimed the lives of more than 560,000 people since the outbreak was first detected in China last December, data from official sources compiled by AFP showed. Meanwhile, over 12.5 million cases have been reported in 196 nations, causing large-scale economic damage.
