Universal Orlando to check temperatures of all employees to prevent spread of COVID-19

Anyone with temperature of 99.9 or higher will not be allowed in

FILE - In this Thursday, Oct. 22, 2015, file photo, park guests relax and cool off with a water mist under the globe at Universal Studios City Walk in Orlando, Fla. Florida tourism officials say cases of the new coronavirus are having little visible impact on the state's biggest industry so far. Tom Schroder, a spokesman for Universal Orlando, said it is reinforcing "best-practice health and hygiene procedures" in response to the coronavirus outbreak and adding more hand sanitizer units to its parks. (AP Photo/John Raoux, File) (John Raoux, Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistribu)

ORLANDO, Fla. – Just hours after Comcast announced construction on the Epic Universe park would be paused due to the coronavirus pandemic, Universal Orlando Resort officials released new guidelines on health precautions for all team members and business visitors.

Effective Friday, the resort will take temperatures of all employees, contractors, vendors and other business visitors before they enter the property, according to a letter sent to employees by Bill Davis, president and COO of Universal Orlando Resort.

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[RELATED: Universal pauses construction on new Epic Universe theme park amid coronavirus pandemic]

If any visitor is found to have a temperature of 99.9 degrees or higher, they will not be allowed on property or off-site locations and will need to wait 72 hours before attempting to return, the letter read.

Employees were directed to the company’s COVID-19 and Resort Closure Team Member information page for further instruction.

“Before traveling to property, you should assess yourself for any symptoms, including checking your temperature: we don’t want you to put yourself or others at risk,” Davis wrote in a letter. “Regardless of your temperature, if you are not feeling well or have any symptoms, including mild cold symptoms, you should not come to property! We encourage anyone in this situation to seek medical attention as they deem appropriate.”

[READ MORE: Universal employees furloughed due to virus closures auto -enrolled in Florida unemployment system]

Universal Orlando was shut down on March 15 to prevent the spread of the novel virus, and has since extended that closure to at least May 31. Park officials initially planned to only close the park through the end of March.

To read the letter issued to team members, click here.

To keep up with the latest news on the pandemic, subscribe to News 6′s coronavirus newsletter or go to ClickOrlando.com/coronavirus.


About the Author:

Erin began her career at News 6 as an assignment editor, then became a show producer. She is now a digital storyteller as part of the Click Orlando team.

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