Disney shuts down Shanghai park for Chinese New Year as deadly coronavirus spreads

Disney is shutting down its Shanghai theme park ahead of the Lunar New Year celebration as China attempts to stop the spread of the deadly Wuhan coronavirus.

Shanghai Disney Resort announced on its official website on Jan. 24, writing that it was closing “in response to the prevention and control of the disease outbreak.”

Guests will be refunded for admission tickets, hotels at the resort, and tickets to shows including Beauty and the Beast Mandarin Production. Disney didn’t give a re-opening date.

“We will continue to carefully monitor the situation and be in close contact with the local government, and we will announce the reopening date upon confirmation,” the company wrote.

China has already expanded travel suspensions to 12 cities near Wuhan, where the disease originated, affecting 35 million people in order to try to contain the virus, according to The New York Times.

The virus has killed 26 people as of Friday afternoon and infected more than 900 worldwide, according to Chinese health officials.

Chinese cities, including Beijing and Wuhan, have already canceled Lunar New Year celebrations in an effort to curtail the spread of the disease, according to The Washington Post.

This story was originally published January 24, 2020 at 12:52 PM with the headline "Disney shuts down Shanghai park for Chinese New Year as deadly coronavirus spreads."