Shanghai Disney finds no cases so far after testing

Performers greet tourists at the entrance of the Shanghai Disneyland theme park in east China's Shanghai, May 11, 2020. (Xinhua/Ren Long)

Over 33,000 people tested negative for COVID-19 at the Shanghai Disney Resort, after the entertainment complex conducted massive on-site nucleic acid tests on Oct 31 night and announced temporary closures to cooperate with an epidemic probe linked to other provinces.

As of 8 am on Monday, all the 33,863 people tested at the facility reported negative results, the Shanghai municipal government said in its official WeChat channel.

A total of 920 physical objects and environment samples from the site were also tested negative, the notice said, adding that all relevant venues have undergone terminal cleaning.

Shanghai Disneyland and the neighboring Disneytown is closed today and tomorrow due to epidemiological investigations related to COVID.

Despite the emergency, glamorous displays lit up the night and placated visitors as they waited patiently in line for testing at the exits — a prerequisite for leaving the facility.

Guests who were inside the park were reminded to strictly comply with epidemic prevention measures including wearing a mask and maintaining social distance at all times. Customers can also purchase blankets and cloaks at Disney shops to keep warm, according to social media posts by visitors at the park.

"Shanghai Disneyland is highly responsive and considerate in terms of its contingency plans," Xie Shichen, a guest going through the testing procedure, wrote in a memo posted on People's Daily's online channel.

"Chinese and English bilingual notices are broadcast, informing people of ticket refund and exchange policies," Xie said. "In a nutshell, the responses are smooth, precise and fast."

At the meantime, the Shanghai Municipal Transportation Commission dispatched 220 shuttle buses to fetch visitors, after suspending operations of metro Line 11— a key subway route connecting Disneyland and the city center— from 20:15 on Sunday.

Upon leaving the resort, guests are also required to undergo a second round of nucleic acid testing after 24 hours. If both tests are confirmed to be negative, they will then be asked to follow a 12-day self-health monitoring protocol.

Per the request of the Shanghai municipal government's epidemic prevention and control task force, people who had visited the resort over the weekend need to immediately notify their residential neighborhood committees, companies and schools, and take COVID-19 tests at designated hospitals and clinics.

The office has published a list of 34 designated testing sites, which are open 24 hours.