Disneyland Closes

Hayley Miller, reporting for the Huffington Post:

Disneyland in Anaheim, California, is shutting down beginning Saturday and continuing throughout the month as the ongoing coronavirus pandemic persists, Disney Parks announced Thursday afternoon.

The decision was made “in the best interest of our guests and employees,” the company said in a statement after California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) issued an executive order in response to the public health crisis. Newsom removed the waiting period for unemployment and disability benefits for state residents who lose work as a result of the outbreak, and he gave the state the power to commandeer hotels and other facilities for patient treatment.

Disney World, in Orlando, remains open, but that seems untenable. Disney’s parks are a real bellwether for how serious this is getting. They only close for extraordinary events:

Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., about 30 miles from Los Angeles, has been tied to various outbreaks of measles in recent years, and one outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease, but those issues have appeared to not affect visitation. Disney World has only closed during hurricanes and after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

As of Saturday, 6 of Disney’s 12 parks around the world will be closed.

★ Thursday, 12 March 2020