NYC Cultural Institutions and Tourist Attractions Shut Down Due to Coronavirus Fears

The most drastic shutdown since 9/11

With a pandemic on our hands, understandably, most of us are freaking out. The world was shocked when earlier this month the Louvre, the most visited museum in the world and house of The Mona Lisa, decided to close its doors temporarily. Schools, restaurants, and cultural institutions have had no choice but to think logistically and quickly about how to react to the outbreak. 

On Thursday morning, The Metropolitan Museum and Opera announced they were closing their doors on all three of their locations on their own accord and until further notice, effective immediately. The Met, one of New York City’s most notable tourist attractions, made the decision after two employees began showing symptoms of the virus. The Metropolitan Opera will be shut down until March 31st as of now, due to the average age of their guests and amount of international travel performers partake in. 

By lunchtime, New York governor Andrew Cuomo announced a ban on gatherings of more than 500 people in order to reduce the risk of spreading infection. Gatherings with less than 500 people still must only be at 50% capacity. 

The ban goes into place Friday and will force an immediate closure of all Broadway shows, after an usher in a broadway theatre tested positive for the virus on Wednesday. A devastation for Broadway fans, according to The New Yorker, this will be the most drastic shut down since 9/11.

 

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