Actors' Equity Asks Walt Disney World to Delay Reopening; a Surge of 5,000 New Virus Cases in Florida

Yesterday, Actors' Equity Association, the labor union representing actors and stage managers in live theatre, publicly asked that Disney delay the opening of Walt Disney World, and commit to regularly testing its returning workers for COVID-19.

Now, positive cases in Florida are surging, with two straight days of over 5,000 new cases, and Orlando is a "hot spot," as reported by the New York Times.

From Forbes:

Disney World is continuing to push forward with plans to reopen its theme parks next month, according to a report, even as new coronavirus cases have hit record highs in Florida, workers are petitioning to keep the parks closed and Disneyland, its West Coast counterpart, is staying closed indefinitely.

...A petition asking theme park executives and government officials to push back reopening had gathered over 10,000 signatures by Thursday, as the Actors' Equity Association, a labor union representing live theatrical performers, is now asking Disney World to follow Disneyland's lead and delay its reopening.

From the Associated Press:

For the second consecutive day, Florida has reported more than 5,000 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state.

...Florida's seven-day average positivity rate for coronavirus tests reached 14.4% this week. By comparison, it was 3.8% on June 1 and 2.3% on May 25.

The increase in cases is a worry as central Florida theme parks either have reopened, or are days away from reopening.

A day after Disney said it would delay reopening its California theme parks, the union representing actors at Walt Disney World in Orlando said Thursday that the company should also postpone welcoming back guests at its Florida parks which are scheduled to reopen next month after being closed since March because of the coronavirus pandemic.

...The Actors' Equity Association said that it was unclear how Disney World could "responsibly" reopen as coronavirus cases continue to soar in the Sunshine State.

...The actors' union said it was concerned that not enough testing was planned for the parks' actors who are unable to use face masks when doing their jobs - performing - unlike other park workers. The union represents about 600 actors at Disney World, out of a total workforce of 77,000 employees at the theme park resort.

"For weeks, we have made it clear to Disney that testing is a fundamental part of maintaining a safe and healthy environment for everyone, from the guests to the cast," said Mary McColl, executive director of Actors' Equity Association in a statement. "It is deeply disturbing that while coronavirus cases in Florida surge, Disney is refusing to provide regular testing to one of the few groups of workers in the park who by the very nature of their jobs, cannot use personal protective equipment."

...Florida has had a less severe outbreak than most other states in deaths so far, but its new cases are surging at rates in the past two weeks that make it the fifth-highest per capita.

From USA Today:

Florida, which avoided a sharp surge during the worst of the pandemic in March and April, has been at the forefront as cases rise across the American South and West.

As of Thursday, a MoveOn.org petition by theme park workers urging local officials in Orange County, Florida, to reconsider the July 11 reopening of Disney World had gained more than 10,000 signatures. The reopening plan was approved unanimously last month by the county's economic recovery task force.