Tourist sites reopen as China starts to recover from coronavirus outbreak
Following news that there are no new reported cases COVID-19 for the first time since the virus emerged in late December and news that the Wuhan lockdown could be lifted once there are no new cases for 14 days, attractions in the country are cautiously preparing to reopen for the first time in months.
According to Xinhua, nationwide, 40 per cent of major tourist destinations have or are about to reopen. Certain areas, such as Beijing, have tighter restrictions, with many attractions still closed.
Shanghai Disney
Disney's Shanghai resort partially reopened on 9 March, though its theme parks continue to remain shut under strict government conditions. A limited number of shopping, dining, and recreational experiences are available in Disneytown, Wishing Star Park and Shanghai Disneyland Hotel. Each of these resort locations are operating under limited capacity and reduced hours of operation.
"The resort will provide an extensive range of measures, designed to ensure a safe and healthy experience for all guests, cast members and Disneytown tenant employees, including strict and comprehensive approaches on sanitisation, disinfection and cleanliness," said a statement from the operator.
"In accordance with relevant regulations, every guest entering Shanghai Disney Resort will be required to undergo temperature screening procedures upon their arrival, will need to present their Health QR Code when entering dining venues, and will be required to wear a mask during their entire visit. Guests will also be reminded to maintain respectful social distances at all times while in stores, queues and restaurants."
Shanghai Haichang Ocean ParkAnnounced yesterday, Shanghai's Haichang Ocean Park will resume limited operations beginning Friday, March 20th.
The park ceased operations at the end of January as a result of the outbreak. When the park reopens, strict measures will still be in place to prevent further outbreaks, including limited visitor numbers, temperature checks and only cashless payments. The theme park will be limited to half of its capacity, while indoor areas will operate at 30 per cent capacity.
Guided tours, group tours and penguin shows will also be suspended, with restaurant remaining closed and visitors encouraged to keep a distance of at least 1.5m away from each other.
Museums
More than 180 of China's museums have reopened as the outbreak begins to calm in the country, including the China Art Museum, the Shanghai Power Station of Art and the Shanghai Museum.
Among the measures implemented to control the epidemic, these Chinese institutions are asking visitors to make online appointments to visit, limiting visitor numbers, staggering visiting times and monitoring people’s temperatures on entry.
At Shanghai Museum, visitors book an appointment via WeChat, with tickets restricted to one ticket per person and capacity reduced to 2000 visitors per day, or 300 people at any time with stays limited to two hours. Visitors will also have to provide their personal "QR health code" before receiving approval to enter.
Tourist sitesA total of 3,714 tourist sites in 28 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities on the Chinese mainland had reopened as of Monday (16 March).
Reopened sites are primarily outdoor ones such as mountains, hills and parks – all with no cases of COVID-19 reported in these spots.
COVID-19 Wuhan Disney Shanghai Ocean Park China Art Museum the Shanghai Power Station of Art Shanghai MuseumIAAPA Expo Asia will not happen in 2020 following coronavirus outbreak
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