Viral videos circulating on Chinese social media site Weibo appeared to show crowds of people running to the park’s gate to escape the impending lockdown, as well as long lines of people waiting to be tested for COVID-19. Shanghai Disney, which includes Disneyland and its surrounding shopping areas, announced the park’s closure shortly after 11:30 a.m. local time, citing compliance with COVID-19 regulations.

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Story continues below ad The Shanghai government posted on WeChat that the park was barring people from leaving until they could test negative for COVID-19, the BBC reported. People who had visited the park between Thursday and Sunday will also have to provide negative text results for three consecutive days. Shanghai reported 10 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday. The park’s closure echoes previous abrupt lockdowns under China’s zero-Covid-19 policy. One such incident also occurred in Shanghai in August, when a lockdown was imposed on an IKEA branch, prompting shoppers to seek the exit to avoid being locked inside. Current trend

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One of the positives of the “Happiest Place on Earth” lockdown is that the park will continue to run the rides for those confined inside. The lockdown at Shanghai Disney comes just two days after the park began operating at reduced capacity to combat the spread of COVID-19, the BBC reported. It’s also not the first time the resort has had to close its gates with people still inside. In November 2021, 30,000 people were trapped inside Shanghai Disney until they could be tested for COVID-19 as part of contact tracing efforts. Story continues below ad

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Shanghai Disney said on Weibo that the tickets of those caught in the lockdown will be valid for six months if guests wish to return. If not, full refunds will be given. China’s steadfast commitment to its Zero COVID-19 policy to eliminate any outbreak of the disease has led to millions of residents being confined to their homes and other locations. Long-term lockdowns in major cities such as Shanghai have made the policy increasingly unpopular with Chinese residents. 1:24 Ikea shoppers in China panic, try to escape flash-Covid lockdown Previous Video Next Video © 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.