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All guests at Disney World will be required to wear face masks indoors starting Friday, regardless of vaccination status.
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Orange County, Florida, where the resort is located, declared a state of emergency on Wednesday.
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Until Friday, face masks are still optional for fully vaccinated guests.
Disney World is set to require guests above the age of two and cast members to wear face masks while indoors starting Friday, it announced on Wednesday.
That mandate applies to all guests, including those who have been vaccinated. Face masks will also be required on Disney buses, its monorail, and the Disney Skyliner, the company said on its website.
“This includes upon entering and throughout all attractions. Face coverings remain optional for all guests in outdoor common areas, “ the company said in a statement.
Face coverings worn on its premises should be made with at least two layers of breathable material, cover the nose and mouth and secure under the chin, and should not contain valves, mesh material, or holes, it added.
Disney World’s mask policy shift comes as Florida’s Orange County, where the resort is located, declared a state of emergency on Wednesday after a record-high 1,371 people tested positive for COVID-19 in a single day. The county has urged all residents, whether vaccinated or unvaccinated, to wear masks while indoors but has not yet put in place a mask mandate.
On Wednesday, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings also ordered all non-union county employees to get their first vaccination shot by August and their second by September, reported the Associated Press.
Disney World previously made face masks optional for fully vaccinated guests in May except when taking the resort’s transportation, in line with the CDC’s recommendation at the time.
Disney did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.
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Source: Insider