On Sunday night fireworks lit up Shanghai Disney Resort's skyline. This prompted a lot of chatter from the crowds. Qian, a young Chinese lady who had decided to spend Halloween at the park, received a Weibo alert advising that the park was closed and that rides had stopped. All 34,000 Disneyland guests would need to be isolated and tested before they could be admitted again.
The news reached the masses of parkgoers, but Qian said that it did not cause panic despite the worsening spread of Delta in 16 Chinese provinces.
I was the only one who started to discuss this issue with tourists. However, they all ended up watching the first fireworks in peace. She posted it on Weibo.
The crowd realized that no one can leave the area until they have all been tested. As the second evening fireworks display blared in the background, they were led to outdoor trestle tables where PPE-wearing health workers tested them. The rail lines were shut down and the gates were closed.
It was a queue for a nucleic acids test that I didn't think would be the longest in Disneyland, as another visitor observed on social media.
As Covid-19 is administered at the Shanghai Disney Resort, a child holds Mickey Mouse balloons. Photograph: AP
Over 200 buses brought people home late at night for two days, including self-isolation. Tests will also take place for the 100,000 other people who came to the park over the weekend.
One case of a Saturday visitor from Shanghai that was positive led to the creation of surreal scenes. There were conflicting reports on whether she actually went to Disneyland. Disney's initial alert only stated that she had been forced to cooperate in the investigation into the pandemic in other cities and provinces.
The park and Disneytown, its retail hub, will remain closed until Wednesday.
China reported 54 more cases of Delta on Monday. This is despite the fact that it is far smaller than other countries and threatens China's commitment to remain free from Covid.
At least 500 people have been confirmed in at least 16 provinces. The pandemic was initially concentrated around Inner Mongolia, but is now mainly concentrated in Heilongjiang. Authorities have responded quickly and vigorously to pandemics with mass testing drives, transport restrictions, lockdowns and transport restrictions. However, the Delta variant's high transmissibility has led to more creative efforts to stop its spread.
Heilongjiang officials boast of 35,000 people who queued under umbrellas to get to the testing stations. Communities are generally complying. Tolerance is starting to decline, especially since it only involves so few cases.
After a single case had been identified in Jiangxi, all traffic lights were turned red to stop movement. After public protest, the move was reversed. Some Beijing residents were unhappy with the way that Beijing's health apps recorded their location and left them stuck. Monday was Monday's deadline for Beijing's health commission to ask people not to leave or return.
People have fled Ruili, a tiny town at the border of Chinas Yunnan, Myanmar. There have been repeated lockdowns and outbreaks. Local media reported that one baby had been tested 74x since September.
Someone claimed to be a Ruili student and posted on Weibo in October that he and his family could not return home. Chinese media were told by local officials that the population has dropped from half a million people to 200,000 since 2020. One said that many people were unable to cope after being affected by the epidemic for a long period. Beijing has responded to the mayor's extraordinary appeal for assistance.
China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan are some of the countries that remain committed to implementing strategies to eradicate the virus. It involves strict border closings and quarantine systems.
As the rest of the world opens up to the virus and accepts it, some are questioning the viability of the strategy. Some others note that all three locations have been Covid-free and have seen fewer than five million deaths.
Qian, a Shanghain politician, praised Disneyland's response.
Shanghai is a city that can be trusted. She said that the response time and measures to combat the epidemic were very quick and practical. This Halloween will be memorable. It will be a joyful, beautiful, and unforgettable journey without any dangers. I wish the epidemic will be under control soon so everyone is safe.
