- The Disneyland Resort will become a mass vaccination site to receive vaccines from thousands of southern Californians, government officials announced on Monday.
- The Anaheim theme park generally has an average daily attendance of 50,000 people, but has been closed since mid-March due to coronavirus restrictions.
- The first people to be offered a vaccination appointment at Disneyland Resort later this week will be essential workers, and those over 70 years of age.
- Orange County plans to immunize all of its residents by Independence Day.
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The Disneyland Resort will become a mass vaccination site, where thousands of Southern Californians can get their COVID-19 vaccines, local government officials announced on Monday.
The theme park, closed since March, is expected to become Orange County’s first “Super” distribution point (POD) later this week, Orange County officials said in a statement.
The Anaheim site will be one of five Super PODs where Orange County residents can be immunized to protect themselves against COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. The other four sites have not yet been finalized.
The first people to receive a vaccination appointment at the Disney theme park will be essential workers and people over 70 years of age.
“It is important to vaccinate as many people as possible against COVID-19 and we need space for that,” said Orange County supervisor Donald P. Wagner, representing the Third District.
“Residents in my district have been heavily affected by COVID-19. These Super PODs are absolutely essential to stop this deadly virus,” said Orange County supervisor Doug Chaffee, representing the Fourth District.
More than 2,000 people died of the virus in Orange County, and about 86,000 of its 3.1 billion residents are currently infected, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Disneyland Resort – a key business for the area – was forced to close in mid-March due to restrictions on California’s coronavirus. The popular theme park had an average daily pre-pandemic frequency of 50,000.
Its closure contributed to Disney’s first quarterly loss in almost 20 years in August of $ 4.72 billion. Disney laid off 28,000 employees in its United States business in September to minimize costs.
Vaccination of people can be beneficial to Disneyland Resort because it can reopen if infection rates in the community are low.
“Disneyland Resort is proud to help support Orange County and the city of Anaheim with the use of our property, and we are grateful for all efforts to combat COVID-19,” said Pamela Hymel, Disney Parks medical director, to Reuters on Tuesday.
Orange County plans to complete all vaccines in the county by July 4 – Independence Day 2021.
“The coronavirus brought a public health crisis and economic devastation,” said Harry Sidhu, mayor of Anaheim.
“With this super site, we will start to overcome both. Each vaccination done in Anaheim will help save lives and speed up the reopening and recovery of our city, ”he added.
“Disneyland Resort is proud to help support Orange County and the city of Anaheim with the use of our property, and we are grateful for all efforts to combat COVID-19,” said Pamela Hymel, Disney Parks medical director, to Reuters on Tuesday.
Orange County plans to complete all vaccines by July 4 – Independence Day 2021.