The company made the announcement that thousands would be furloughed beginning Wednesday in a
"The furloughed employees will not receive compensation from the company during the furlough period after
The company has had rounds of layoffs over the years, but the furlough was a first for the company.
Employees were sent a letter, which cited restrictions because of COVID-19, as a reason for the furlough.
"Government orders prohibiting large gatherings, restricting travel, and mandating business closures have caused many companies to scale back or cease operations," the letter said. "They have caused significant disruption to our communities and are anticipated to do so for the foreseeable future."
The company has struggled after the 2013 Blackfish film documenting concerns over Tilikum, a killer whale
The company cut 475 positions in 2017 and 2018 and an undisclosed number about a year ago.
Still, before the coronavirus pandemic, attendance had been recovering as the park launched new attractions, such as a Sesame Street-themed land at SeaWorld Orlando.
The
Despite a closure since the end of business on
Earlier in the week Universal Orlando extended its closure to curb the coronavirus spread from the end of March through
"Taking care of our Universal Orlando team members remains one of most important priorities, and we remain committed to paying them through this closure period, Universal spokeswoman
The number of COVID-19 cases in
In
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