‘There is now reason for optimism’: Disneyland will host coronavirus vaccine ‘super-site’

The theme park will be the first of five Super POD sites in Orange County and will have the capacity to vaccinate thousands every day

Disneyland will host coronavirus vaccine ‘super-site’ in California. (Getty Images)

Disneyland, which has been shuttered since last March, will reopen later this week as a point-of-dispensing Covid-19 vaccination site in Orange County, California.

“The Disneyland Resort, the largest employer in the heart of Orange County, has stepped up to host the county’s first Super POD site – undertaking a monumental task in our vaccination distribution process,” said county Supervisor Andrew Do, according to ABC 7 News. “We truly appreciate the support of the Orange County Fire Authority, our cities and our residents as we continue to rollout Covid-19 vaccinations throughout the county.”

“Disneyland Resort is proud to help support Orange County and the City of Anaheim with the use of our property, and we are grateful for all of their efforts to combat Covid-19. After a year in which so many in our community have faced unprecedented hardship and uncertainty, there is now reason for optimism with the administration of a vaccine,” said Dr Pamela Hymel, chief medical officer, Disney parks, experiences and products.

The massive theme park is set to be the first of five Super POD sites in Orange County and will have the capacity to vaccinate thousands every day. Additional sites will be announced as agreements are finalised.

Read More: California will allow fans at pro sports but not Disneyland

Most of the Disneyland resort in Anaheim, California, has been closed since the pandemic set in last spring. Since then, portions of the resort have reopened, with the Downtown Disney shopping and dining area reopening last summer and a portion of California Adventure reopening in the fall.

Disneyland joins Dodger Stadium in becoming a mass Southern California Covid-19 vaccination site. Once up and running, Dodger Stadium, which previously served as one of the largest testing sites in the US, will be able to vaccinate up to 12,000 people a day, according to NBC 4 Los Angeles.

“I want to thank Mayor Eric Garcetti, the entire City of Los Angeles, and the Dodgers organisation for their partnership in getting us to this point,” said LA County Board of Supervisors Chair Hilda L Solis when the news was announced on 10 January. 

“In this moment of darkness where cases, hospitalisations, and deaths are skyrocketing, this bold step of offering both Covid-19 testing and vaccines in the heart of Los Angeles, reflects the dual nature of this moment – it is dark, but simultaneously hopeful.” 

California has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, with its death toll nearing 30,000 as reports come in from across the county of ambulances waiting in bays to transfer patients, and hospitals running low on oxygen supply.