On July 7, the Washington Post reported that, at the time, one in every 100 Floridians was infected by COVID-19, no doubt due to the state’s liberal reopening policies. The latest announcement in Florida’s swift reopening came last week when Orlando’s Disney World announced it would reopen during the weekend. Now, according to the Florida Department of Health’s latest numbers, there are almost 300,000 cases, with about 20,000 hospitalizations.
Once again, Disney claims its spot as one of the top symbols of American excess. On Saturday, the Magic Kingdom and the Animal Kingdom reopened. Hollywood Studios and Epcot will follow on Wednesday. The plan is, supposedly, to ensure safety with temperature checks, mask requirements, 4,000 hand sanitizer stations, regular encouragement for people to wash their hands, and empty seats on rides to encourage social distancing.
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But on Sunday, Florida saw the country’s biggest single-day spike of coronavirus cases to date, which makes reopening something as flagrantly non-essential as an amusement park feel tone-deaf, if not downright negligent. And it’s infuriating locals as well as far-away netizens. The tweets speak for themselves.
As is almost tradition, the reopening announcement got the horror movie trailer treatment.
someone said the Disney "reopening" video looks like a horror movie trailer, so I set it to the Us music, and…see for yourself pic.twitter.com/eJ3zi1p9tZ
— "cool zone" sadvil (@sadvil) July 11, 2020
This joke should not be funny, but reopening one of the nation’s biggest amusement parks in the middle of a pandemic has shattered any notion of decency.
Disney Reopening Starter Kit pic.twitter.com/HxQpVF0dxt
— Skrrt Vonnegut (@Bel_Biv_Devos) July 11, 2020
But it would be unfair to blame the spikes on just Disney World. Universal Studios has had open parks since June 5.
why is disney taking the heat for reopening when universal has been open for a MONTH
— jess exotic says WEAR A MASK (@jxssicameyer) July 12, 2020
Disney World reopening while Florida just keeps increasing their coronavirus records like pic.twitter.com/VV7BZyr2dG
— Gamerboy Nave: Campus Band Trombone #BLM (@GamerboyNave) July 12, 2020
Even the horse knows it’s smarter to not be there.
Day 1 of Disney World reopening literally the only 5 guests within vicinity spook a horse... pic.twitter.com/6v7JkCAxgJ
— Kenny (@kenny_bleh) July 12, 2020