Walt Disney’s California theme park will reopen to visitors this week, repurposed as a Covid 19 Vaccination station. While those attending the famous Anaheim attraction will not be able to ride any roller coasters or meet Mickey Mouse, they will be among the first to receive shots at the mass vaccination site.

On Monday Orange County announced that the resort will be one of five Super POD (point of dispensing) for the vaccine.

“The Disneyland Resort, the largest employer in the heart of Orange County, has stepped up to host the county’s first Super POD site” said Andrew Do, acting chairman for the district.

The resort has been shut to the public for the last 10 months, since the pandemichalted operations in March. However by the end of the week health officials could be providing up to 1000 vaccines a day.

Visits to the Disneyland side will be by invitation only. Those high-priority cases invited as part of “Phase 1A” will be summoned to the theme park by post or through their employer.

“Coronavirus has brought both a public health crisis and economic devastation,” said mayor Harry Sidhu.

“Every vaccination done in Anaheim will help to save lives and speed the reopening and recovery of our city.”

Before the pandemic, Disneyland provided 30,000 jobs to the region according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St Louis. However, layoffs and prolonged closures saw unemployment peak at 19.3 per cent last year, almost double that of the recession following the 2008 Great Financial Crash.

Disney creatives and Disneyland Park workers have been providing Public Safety materials for Orange County and Los Angeles over Christmas.

“Disneyland has continuously shown its commitment to health and safety in Orange County for many years, and we welcome their collaboration” said Dr Clayton Chau, health officer for OC.

“We all have a role to play in working to curb the spread of Covid-19.”

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