Walt Disney Co. is requiring masks to be worn indoors again at its Florida and California theme parks, as the resurgent coronavirus sets back America's push to return to life as normal.
Disney, the world's largest theme-park operator, reopened its Florida resorts last year and its California parks in April. It and other resort operators lifted mask requirements for vaccinated guests at the start of the summer as inoculations rose nationally.
Now, the more-infectious delta variant is driving a jump in cases at the same time vaccination rates have slowed. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its guidance this week to recommend that even vaccinated people wear masks indoors in areas with rising cases levels.
Starting Friday, all theme park visitors aged 2 and up will be required to wear masks in all indoor locations, regardless of vaccination status, Disney said in an emailed statement.
The entertainment giant joins other companies reinstating mask mandates, including Apple Inc., which will require them at most of its U.S. stores for both customers and staff.
Read more: Virus Surge Upends Plans for Getting Workers Back to Offices
Google on Wednesday said that it will push back its official office return to mid-October and require workers at its campuses to get vaccinated. Lyft Inc. postponed its return date to February, while Twitter Inc. shut its recently reopened offices.
