People watch a performance at the Universal Beijing Resort (UBR) in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 26, 2021. Photo:Xinhua

 
Universal Beijing Resort said on Friday it will remain closed, after Beijing reported new COVID-19 cases related to gatherings in bars.

To protect the health and safety of tourists and employees and to cooperate with the government's epidemic prevention efforts, the resort said it will remain closed in a notice published on the official WeChat account of the theme park on Friday night.

Universal had said earlier on Friday that ticket bookings would start again on Saturday, but according to the latest notice bookings will also be postponed.

"We will pay close attention to the epidemic prevention and control situation, stay in close communication with relevant departments, and adjust and update the operation arrangements in accordance with the prevention and control policies as the situation changes. We will inform you as soon as the recovery time is confirmed. We sincerely thank you all for your understanding and support during this special time," said Universal Resort.

Beijing reported 21 new COVID-19 cases on Friday afternoon. There were 29 cases related to a bar in Chaoyang District.

Bars, KTV venues, internet cafes and underground entertainment venues in Beijing will be screened. Those with poor ventilation and without full implementation of prevention and control measures will be closed temporarily, officials said on Friday.

Universal Beijing Resort had announced on Tuesday that it would be fully reopened on June 15, including the Themed Lands, the Universal Studios Grand Hotel, the NUO Resort Hotel and Universal CityWalk Beijing, with a daily flow capped at 75 percent of capacity. 

Immediately after the reopening announcement, the number of visitors to the online flagship store of Universal Beijing Resort rose 19 times compared to Monday on Feizhu, Alibaba Group's online travel booking platform.

Universal Beijing Resort had also prepared reopening discounts. For small groups of three tourists entering the theme park on a designated date, a discount of up to 22 percent was to be offered for tickets purchased at its flagship store on e-commerce platform JD.com, read a notice published on Friday morning.

Another landmark theme park, the Shanghai Disney Resort, said that its Wishing Star Park, World of Disney Store and Blue Sky Boulevard will resume operation on Friday, while Shanghai Disneyland and Disneytown will remain temporarily closed until further notice.

Shanghai on Friday reported six new confirmed cases of COVID-19, with five areas newly listed as medium-risk areas.