Last Updated on September 30, 2020, 6:09 AM AST by Anthony Morris
Disney said on Tuesday that it would cut 28,000 jobs from its US theme parks division, singling out California restrictions which have prevented the giant Disneyland resort from reopening due to the coronavirus crisis.
The Mouse House revealed in a press release that the cuts are needed due to the social distancing requirements and depressed demand due to the pandemic, along with uncertainty on when the parks would recover.
Chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, Josh D’Amaro said that it was a difficult decision, Disney believes that the steps which are being taken would enable it to emerge a more effective and efficient operation when things would return to normal.
About two-thirds of the affected employees were the part-time staff.
Disneyland in Anaheim near LA is the world’s second-most visited theme park and draws millions of visitors every year, after the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World situated in Orlando.
But unlike the Disney theme parks in Tokyo, Hong Kong, Florida, Shanghai and Paris, the Anaheim resort has not reopened so far due to the COVID restrictions.
D’Amaro said that uncertainty had been exacerbated in California by the unwillingness of the state to lift restrictions which would allow Disneyland to reopen.
Disneyland was scheduled originally to reopen in July, but that was called off as local officials rolled back reopenings because of another coronavirus surge.
California’s 805,000 confirmed cases are now the most of any US state.
While the rate of new infections has since gone back into decline, and certain businesses are once again allowed to welcome customers back, theme parks are still shut in the nation’s most populous and most prosperous state.
Last week, D’Amaro called on California Governor Gavin Newsom to help the theme park reopen or risk the losses of tens of thousands of jobs.
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
