San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Disney theme parks reopening in Florida
“The Most Magical Place on Earth” reopened Saturday after nearly four months with new rules in place to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom welcomed visitors, while Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios will follow on Wednesday. The reopening comes as a huge surge of Floridians have tested positive for the coronavirus in recent weeks. On Saturday, there were about 10,000 new cases reported.
Many cities and counties around the state have recently reinstated restrictions that had been lifted in May, when cases seemed to drop.
All of Disney’s Orlando parks closed in midMarch in an effort to stop the virus’s spread. Universal Orlando and SeaWorld Orlando closed around the same time but reopened several weeks ago after instituting similar distancing rules to protect employees and customers from the virus.
NEW YORK Governor lauds positive trends
Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Saturday that the state’s coronavirus hospitalizations and average threeday death toll have hit the lowest levels since midMarch.
The governor said the hospitalization number was below 800 for the first time since March 18, while the figure of seven daily deaths over 72 hours was last seen on the eve of St. Patrick’s Day.
“The efforts of everyday New Yorkers to socially distance, wear masks and wash their hands are central to our ability to slow the spread and save lives,” he said.
TEXAS
Field hospital requested
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says “things will get worse” in the state as more than 10,000 patients are hospitalized with the coronavirus. Texas members of Congress are asking the Trump administration for a field hospital in the Rio Grande Valley. They said in a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar that there is “no indication that case counts will level out soon.”
SLURPEE SORROW 7Eleven scraps promotion
The coronavirus pandemic has taken away another summertime tradition: There were no free Slurpees at 7Elevens on Saturday — July 11 — to hail a date that doubles as an abbreviation of the chain’s name.
7Eleven scrapped the promotion to reduce the risk of people flocking to its stores and contracting the virus. The chain instead decided to donate 1 million meals to Feeding America, a relief group. People who have 7Eleven’s membership app on their phones are also eligible for a free Slurpee this month.