Disney World and Disneyland will again require a mask indoors

Face masks burned in protest in Florida 1:15

New York (CNN Business) -

Disney World and Disneyland, the two crown jewels of Disney's parks unit, will again require indoor masks.

The company announced Wednesday that it was adapting its health and safety guidelines based on "guidance from health and government officials."

The resorts, which are located in Orlando, Florida and Anaheim, California, will require employees, known as "Cast Members" and guests ages 2 and up, to wear masks and face coverings indoors starting Friday.

This is "regardless of vaccination status," according to Disney.

The move comes as the delta variant of the new coronavirus is spreading rapidly, prompting major companies to reconsider their plans to bring employees to the office and even make vaccinations mandatory.

For example, Google (GOOGL) and Facebook (FB) became two of the largest companies on Wednesday to require employees to be vaccinated when they return to work.

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The decision to once again ask visitors to wear masks is also notable, as Disney (DIS) is the top destination in the theme park industry, as well as a lynchpin of the company's media empire.

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The change comes after the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its mask guide Tuesday, recommending that vaccinated people wear masks indoors in areas of "substantial" transmission and "high" of covid-19.

The news that the masks will be returning to Disney's national parks comes after the mayor of Orange, where Disney World is located, said the county is in "crisis mode."

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"These numbers are extraordinary. We are seeing nearly 1,000 new cases in Orange County daily. Those are the numbers that we saw at the highest peak last year," Mayor Jerry Demings said Monday.

Disney's Parks and Resorts division was hit hard by the pandemic.

The outbreak led to a challenging year that led to lengthy shutdowns and significant layoffs.

- CNN's Clare Duffy, Jacqueline Howard and Devan Cole contributed to this report.

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