Topline
Shanghai’s Disney Resort unexpectedly closed its doors on Monday after officials tightened Covid restrictions, trapping guests inside as cases across China climb and patience over Beijing’s persistent and rigid pursuit of zero-Covid wears thin.
Shanghai Disneyland Resort has closed to comply with Covid restrictions.
Key Facts
Shanghai Disney Resort, which includes Shanghai Disneyland and the Disneytown shopping and entertainment district, announced it was closing due to pandemic restrictions with immediate effect.
The resort, which will be closed until further notice, said it will let guests know when it has a confirmed date to reopen and that guests can receive a refund for tickets or exchange them for a new date within six months of the new opening.
City officials have reportedly locked down the resort and are preventing guests from leaving until they provide a negative Covid test, according to Reuters.
The strategy is emblematic of Beijing’s zero tolerance approach to the coronavirus and the disruption is the latest to hit Disney’s beleaguered Shanghai resort, which was shut more than three months this year due to pandemic restrictions and where more than 30,000 visitors were locked inside last November after one guest tested positive for Covid.
News Peg
The closure of Shanghai Disneyland is the latest instance of ongoing pandemic disruption in China as officials battle to stamp out rising infections. China reported 2,675 new local cases on Sunday, up from 1,873 the day before, the biggest jump since early August. On Sunday, China recorded an average of 1,412 cases a day over the last week. This figure is trending upwards and has only been seen from previous surges in March, August and weeks ago in mid-October, though it is a long way from the pandemic peak of nearly 26,500 in March. Millions in Shanghai, which was subject to months of brutal lockdown earlier this year, have been confined to their homes and ordered to take Covid tests. Similar lockdowns have been implemented in dozens of cities across the country, including parts of Beijing, manufacturing hub Zhengzhou and Wuhan, where the virus was first identified three years ago. The strict approach, particularly confining residents, visitors and workers to specific locations while they await test results, has started to wear on locals and numerous reports or videos have emerged of people fleeing impending lockdowns. This includes dramatic footage of shoppers attempting to escape an Ikea to avoid lockdown and workers fleeing restrictions at Foxconn’s large iPhone factory. Beijing’s inflexible approach is increasingly concerning to big business as well, including U.S. giants Apple and Tesla, as the disruptions are impacting global supply chains.
Big Number
2.9 million. That’s how many confirmed Covid cases there have been in China since the start of the pandemic, according to Johns Hopkins University. Just over 16,000 have died with the disease in the same period. Though China has fared much better than other countries like the U.S., U.K., and across Europe, its very low official figures have caused many to question the veracity of Beijing’s reporting. China, the world’s most populous country, has a population of more than one billion people and critics believe official statistics do not capture the true extent of its outbreaks. The country does have a record of cooking the books to serve its rulers’ purposes when it comes to reporting official figures.
Further Reading
New China Covid-19 Lockdowns Would Threaten U.S. Economic Recovery (Just Ask Tesla) (Forbes)
A rare glimpse inside fortress Hong Kong: a city on the edge (The Times)
Workers flee China’s Covid restrictions at Foxconn’s huge iPhone factory (Financial Times)
Fast, precise, too tough? Lockdowns risk stalling China’s economy (Guardian)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2022/10/31/guests-trapped-in-disney-on-halloween-as-china-locks-down-theme-park-over-covid-scare/