Florida has seen a recent spike in COVID-19 cases, with the state adding nearly 10,000 new cases in the past week. With cases rising so sharply over such a short amount of time, many have been wondering if we could see a return to lockdown in the Orlando area.
And while nothing has been announced, officials have said that it could be possible if things don’t improve, especially in Orange County, which houses Universal Orlando Resort, SeaWorld Orlando, and part of Walt Disney World.
No action yet, but closings could be an option as the situation becomes more serious
Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said during a recent news conference that he does not believe that rising COVID-19 numbers in Orange County are at a level where a shutdown would be necessary in the immediate future. However, the county saw 730 new COVID-19 cases last week alone, up 202% from the week before, which is a massive increase and prompted the mayor to acknowledge that a lockdown could be put back in place if the situation doesn’t improve soon.
And unfortunately, so far this week, 246 new cases have already been reported, leading health officials to hypothesize that the total numbers for this week could be even worse than last week, which would bolster the case for another lockdown, especially as Mayor Demings has said that if the hospital capacity starts to dwindle or if the positivity rate reaches the double digits, then he will consider “rolling back” some of Orange County’s business openings. And while the types of businesses that would see closures was not elaborated on, it very well could include theme parks.
Though there’s no hard answers yet, with cases of COVID-19 on the rise once again in Central Florida, we’d advise all theme park visitors to exercise caution. And though lockdown may be a last resort (and not quite on the horizon just yet), there could be another measure to help stem the spread of COVID-19 that could be put into place in Orange County VERY soon.
Mandatory masks could be coming to Orange County
If you have visited Universal Orlando Resort or SeaWorld Orlando, then you’ve probably been wearing a mask for a large portion of your day, as both Universal and SeaWorld are requiring masks for all visitors. However, Mayor Demings has said that a mask mandate could be coming soon for the rest of the county if things don’t improve.
Such a mandate probably wouldn’t change much at theme parks, except maybe when it comes to enforcement, but it could definitely change things for guests who dine out or visit a hotel during a trip to Orlando.
Unfortunately there’s a lot we don’t know about this situation, but we’ll be sure to keep you posted as the situation continues to develop.
As always, while this situation is evolving, all travelers should check out the CDC’s official site here, which has information on the virus and how to prevent its spread.
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