Hong Kong Disneyland is closing again, of course

Hong Kong Disneyland is shutting down again following a surge of 52 new cases of COVID-19 in the city, reports CNN. Disneyland’s China outpost reopened on June 18 with new sanitization and social distancing guidelines, but the surge of new cases has forced the company to re-close. Perhaps Hong Kong Disneyland could’ve followed the absurd example set by Japan’s Fuji-Q Highland amusement park, where the owners have suggested it’s better to “scream inside your heart” while on a rollercoaster than, um, with your mouth?

In an official statement, a Disneyland spokesperson said, “As required by the government and health authorities in line with prevention efforts taking place across Hong Kong, Hong Kong Disneyland park will temporarily close from July 15.” Meanwhile, in Florida (always), Disney World reopened on Saturday, July 11, despite rising numbers of COVID-19 cases in the state. On Sunday, just one day after Disney began a phased reopening of its Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom parks in Orlando, Florida broke the national record for new COVID-19 cases reported in a single day. As of now, Disney remains committed to beginning a similar phased reopening of its EPCOT and Hollywood Studios parks on July 15, which seems ill-advised at best. But with President Trump and some Republican governors planning the forced reopening of schools (OF ALL PLACES) in August, it surely would appear that these leaders are recklessly (and maybe even diabolically?) determined to behave as irresponsibly and selfishly as possible at the expense of actual lives. Happy Tuesday!