Disney World workers harassed, spit on for enforcing Covid-19 safety guidelines
Mar 05, 2021
Washington [US], March 6 : The Disney World workers have alleged experiencing harassment such as being spit on for trying to enforce Covid-19 safety guidelines that the company has put in place amid the pandemic.
Citing Orange County Sheriff's reports released by the Orlando Sun-Sentinel, The Hill said that the employees from Disney's theme parks, hotel and Disney Springs have been subjects of challenges from guests who were asked to keep their masks on and social distance amid Covid-19.
"There's never a day when I don't have a story...I cried the first week I started. It was not a good time at all. Imagine going to work every single day where people ridicule you," said an employee working at Disney Springs parking garages to enforce Covid-19 rules told the Sentinel.
The Orange County Sheriff has stated that there have been instances of guests yelling at workers, throwing things at them and even pushing them.
"Millions of guests visit our theme parks each year, and in rare instances when things of this nature occur, we hold them accountable," said Disney spokesperson Andrea Finger.
However, this is not the first time that people have resorted to abusing store owners amid the pandemic.
The Hill reported that a California woman, last summer, took to Facebook to blast a Starbucks barista who she said refused to serve her because she did not have a mask on.
This is despite US President Joe Biden urging the people to wear masks amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
On March 4, he had called Texas and Mississippi's decision to lift the mask mandate as "Neanderthal thinking".
Replying to questions on Governors Greg Abbott of Texas and Tate Reeves of Mississippi's decision to relax COVID-19 restrictions, Biden said, "Texas -- I think it's a big mistake. Look, I hope everybody has realized by now: These masks make a difference."
He further said, "We are on the cusp of being able to fundamentally change the nature of this disease because of the way in which we're able to get vaccines in people's arms. We've been able to move that all the way up to the end of May to have enough for every American to get -- every adult American to get a shot. And the last thing -- the last thing we need is Neanderthal thinking that, in the meantime, everything is fine, take off your mask."
According to the latest data by Johns Hopkins University, the US has till now reported 28,873,800 Covid-19 cases and 522,221 deaths.