Universal Studios Theme Parks Extend Closure Until End of May Over Coronavirus Concerns

Universal Studios Hollywood in California and Universal Orlando Resort in Florida will not be opening its doors until at least the end of May.

The theme parks announced on Thursday that it will be extending their closure period though May 31 as the number of confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) cases continue to rise across the United States. The announcement was made on each parks’ website and Twitter accounts.

Before the latest extension, the parks were initially looking to reopen on April 19.

All annual and seasonal passes to either parks will automatically be extended by the number of days the theme parks are closed. Monthly payments for FlexPay have been postponed due to the closure.

Here's the latest news.

Updates are also available at https://t.co/OVgEFiR4Pq. pic.twitter.com/MnahWvhqVZ

— Universal Studios Hollywood (@UniStudios) April 9, 2020

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Here's the latest update from our destination.

Updates are also available at https://t.co/zdKuISXe1I pic.twitter.com/aslFjegCf4

— Universal Orlando Resort (@UniversalORL) April 9, 2020

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PEOPLE first reported the news that the amusement parks would be closing on Thursday, March 12. Universal Studios Hollywood temporarily shut down on March 14. At that time, Universal CityWalk planned to remain open. It has since closed.

Universal Orlando Resort closed at the end of the business day on Sunday, March 15, and originally planned to reopen at the end of March, according to a statement acquired by PEOPLE. At that time, Universal’s Orlando hotels and Universal CityWalk planned to remain open. Both have since closed.

The announcement that the Universal parks would close came shortly after similar statements from Disneyland and Walt Disney World, which have now closed their doors indefinitely. The theme parks are part of a large number of tourist attractions to close both in the U.S. and abroad due to the pandemic.

Before deciding to close their parks, Disney and Universal both told PEOPLE that they were taking extra precautions to protect guests, including stringent sanitation policies and placement of additional hand sanitizing stations.

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On March 11, the office of California Governor Gavin Newsom released a statement detailing recommendations from state health officials that gatherings of 250 people or more be canceled or postponed statewide in order to slow the spread of the highly contagious virus.

Earlier this month, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis instituted a “Safer at Home” order that went into effect on April 3. He announced the decision with an executive order, which mandated residents to only leave home for essential businesses and activities.

As of April 9, there have been at least 455,019 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States, with 16,390 deaths from coronavirus-related illness.

Worldwide, there are now more than 1.5 million confirmed cases of coronavirus and at least 94,360 deaths.

As information about the coronavirus pandemic rapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from CDC, WHO, and local public health departments. To help provide doctors and nurses on the front lines with life-saving medical resources, donate to Direct Relief here.