Hong Kong’s Ocean Park reopens after over 4 months

Hong Kong, June 13 (IANS) Hong Kongs Ocean Park reopened on Saturday after more than four months of closure due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Some of the dozens of guests waiting at the queues arrived at the attraction in Aberdeen hours before 10 a.m., the opening time, and many visitors said they missed the excitement of the thrilling rides the park offered, reports the South China Morning Post.

All of them donned a mask and had to go through a temperature check before entering the theme park, as part of the amusement hub’s measures to guard against COVID-19.

To guard against the contagion, the park has started its operations at 25 per cent of its capacity, or receiving at most 9,000 guests a day, for the first two weeks.

It plans to gradually increase the capacity to 50 per cent.

The capacities of all the rides and facilities have also been halved.

The resort will only run six days a week, except Tuesdays, until July 31.

Guests will need to make reservations online for their dates of visit, except for those below three years old, residents aged 65 or above, and two children aged between three and 11 who come with a senior citizen.

The park was closed on January 26, days after Hong Kong recorded its first coronavirus infections, said the South China Morning Post report.

The reopening also comes after the Hong Kong legislature last month approved a HK$5.4 billion ($692 million) bailout plan to keep the theme park, one of the largest in the city, running for another year.

–IANS

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