The Tokyo Disney Resort in Japan will remain closed amid even more concerns for the coronavirus. The Resort shut its doors on February 29 in response to the worsening worldwide coronavirus crisis.
But Oriental Land Co., the local operator of Disney’s Tokyo parks, said in a statement Wednesday that the suspension would be extended until at the start of April.
The Resort was scheduled to reopen on March 16, but a steady uptick in coronavirus infections in Japan prompted the country’s prime minister to extend a request for event organizers to cancel public gatherings for the rest of the month.
On Tuesday, Japan’s cabinet approved a bill that would allow Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to declare a national emergency, if needed, as Japan continues to play catch-up in its efforts to contain the new coronavirus.
The prime minister also extended an earlier government request to event organizers nationwide to cancel events and activities that entail large public gatherings for at least another 10 days. The initial request was set to expire on March 19. The Disney closure extension appears to be a response to the government’s new guidelines.
Disney’s other two theme parks in Asia, the Shanghai Disney Resort and Hong Kong Disneyland, have both been shuttered since late January.
With new coronavirus infections now falling in China, Disney reopened several dining and shopping locations in Disneytown, along with Wishing Star Park, and the Shanghai Disneyland Hotel on Monday.
Shanghai Disneyland itself remains closed, however, with Disney saying that will continue to “closely monitor health and safety conditions” and await the “direction of government regulators.”
