Shanghai Disney shuts as visitors unable to leave without negative COVID test

Visitors were trapped inside Shanghai Disney Resort when the attraction abruptly shut its gates yesterday at 11:39am local time to comply with COVID-19 prevention measures and China's strict zero-Covid policy.

Chinese President Xi Jinping earlier this month signalled that there would be no easing up of the zero-COVID policy - which aims to wipe out all outbreaks - calling it a "people's war to stop the spread of the virus".

All visitors to Shanghai Disney at the time of the announcement were directed to stay in the park until they return a negative COVID test.

Videos posted on Chinese social media site Weibo showed people rushing to the park's gates following the announcement but finding them already locked.

Social media users also reported the theme park continued to operate rides during the closure.

The resort shut the main theme park and surrounding areas including its shopping street until further notice to comply with virus curbs.

The Shanghai government said on its official WeChat account the park was barring people from entering or exiting and that all visitors inside the site would need to await the results of their tests before they could leave.

The statement also advised that anyone who had visited the park since 27th October would need to test for COVID three times in three days.

The resort had on Saturday said that it had started operating with a reduced workforce to comply with COVID measures.

Shanghai reported 10 locally transmitted cases for 30th October all of which it said were people without symptoms.

The closure marks the latest disruption for the Shanghai Disney Resort, which was shut for over three months during Shanghai's lockdown earlier this year.

China's controversial zero-Covid policy has already seen millions of people repeatedly locked down, sometimes in unusual locations including a Shanghai branch of Swedish furniture giant Ikea - and workplaces as they try to avoid being trapped inside.

No date has been given for when Shanghai Disney will reopen. Shanghai Disney said tickets will be valid for six months and refunds will be given.

Millions of people are under 200 different lockdowns in China, as of 24th October, as the country of 1.45 billion consistently records more than 1,000 new COVID cases a day. The numbers are seen as relatively small outbreaks in other parts of the world.

Image: Guests trapped inside Shanghai Disney Resort yesterday  as captured from Chinese social media site Weibo.