How theme parks around the world are responding to the coronavirus outbreak

Coronavirus continues to spread across the globe, with more than 128,000 confirmed cases and over 4,700 deaths worldwide as a result of the virus at the time of writing. 

As the virus continues to gain traction, public health officials are encouraging people to avoid public gatherings, leading companies to mandate employees work from home and large scale events like South by Southwest (SXSW) to be canceled. 

Disney announced on Thursday that it will be closing Disneyland and Disney World Resorts in response to the coronavirus pandemic

Disney released two statements on Thursday, the first of which said that its Disneyland Resort in California would close, and the second saying Disney World Resort in Florida and Disneyland Paris would close. 

The decision to close Disneyland came after California Governor Gavin Newsom recommended people cancel public gatherings of 250 people or more on Thursday morning to combat the spread of coronavirus:

"While there have been no reported cases of COVID-19 at Disneyland Resort, after carefully reviewing the guidelines of the Governor of California's executive order and in the best interest of our guests and employees, we are proceeding with the closure of Disneyland Park and Disneyland California Adventure, beginning the morning of March 14 through the end of the month."

The announcement that Disney World and Disneyland Paris would close came soon after:

"In an abundance of caution and in the best interest of our guests and employees, we are proceeding with the closure of our theme parks at Disney World Resort in Florida and Disneyland Paris Resort, beginning at the close of business on Sunday, March 15, through the end of the month."

The statement also noted that the Disney Cruise Line will "suspend all new departures beginning Saturday, March 14, through the end of the month."

Disneyland's announcement marked the first American theme park to close in the wake of coronavirus, and it is only the fourth time in history the park has had a non-scheduled closure.

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The Disneyland Paris closure was also particularly welcome, as a maintenance worker at the park tested positive for the virus on Monday.

Universal Studios in Hollywood and Orlando also decided to close as a result of the coronavirus on Thursday. Universal provided Insider with a statement on its Hollywood location closure:

"The health and safety of our team members and guests is always our top priority. Out of an abundance of caution and in response to the guidance provided by the California Department of Public Health, Universal Studios Hollywood will temporarily close beginning Saturday, March 14. The theme park anticipates reopening on March 28 as we continue to monitor the situation."

Universal in Orlando is closing out of "an abundance of caution" as an announcement stated beginning Sunday, March 15, much like its neighbor Disney World.

Other theme parks around the world remain open despite health concerns surrounding large gatherings of people

A few United States theme parks remain open at the time of writing, including Six Flags parks nationwide.

Universal CityWalk in Hollywood is also still open, as the same statement provided to Insider stated. In addition, the Disney hotels at Disney World and Disneyland Paris will remain open "until further notice."

The parks maintain that they are committed to keeping guests and staff safe as they stay open.

For instance, Six Flags is working to make attendees feel more at ease when they come to its parks, as it sent out a survey to its customers inquiring what measures would make guests feel safe.

In regards to the survey, Six Flags provided Business Insider with the following statement:

"We are a guest-focused company. The opinions and sentiments of our guests matter greatly to us. We do surveys on a variety of topics and in this particular case, we want to know what our guests are thinking as it relates to the coronavirus. The health and safety of our guests and employees is always our top priority."

Disney also closed its parks in Japan and China as a result of the coronavirus outbreak

Disney has closed its parks in Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Tokyo in recent weeks, though USA Today noted that the Shanghai Disney Resort partially reopened this week.

Universal Studios has also closed its Japan location as a result of the outbreak.

These sites are just four of many global museums and attractions that have closed since coronavirus began to spread.

You can read Disney's full statement on its Disneyland closure here and its other closures here, and you can read Universal's full statement on Universal Orlando here and its statement to Insider below.

"The health and safety of our team members and guests is always our top priority. Out of an abundance of caution and in response to the guidance provided by the California Department of Public Health, Universal Studios Hollywood will temporarily close beginning Saturday, March 14. The theme park anticipates reopening on March 28 as we continue to monitor the situation.  
 
Universal CityWalk will remain open. We will provide timely updates as conditions evolve.
 
If guests have questions regarding tickets, they can call 1-800-UNIVERSAL (1-800-864-8377), option #9."

• Read more:
• A Disneyland maintenance worker in France tested positive for the coronavirus, but the park is staying open for now
• The Louvre, Legoland, and three Disney theme parks are closed because of the coronavirus. Here's all of the major museum and theme park closures so far.
• Six Flags sent a survey asking customers how it should combat coronavirus fears, with measures ranging from face masks to taking temperatures
• Coronavirus live updates: More than 116,000 people have been infected and over 4,000 have died. The US has reported 27 deaths. Here's everything we know.