New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art reopens with safety protocols amid COVID-19

As the world grapples with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, many nations imposed strict lockdowns in order to curb the spread of the virus. A number of museums, public places, and cultural activities have also faced the brunt of the pandemic. Following a months-long shutdown, New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art reopened its doors to public visitors on August 29, a sign that the city is resuming its normal life after the closure due to pandemic.

Celebrating the reopening of the museum, visitors raised their arms in a sign of victory, clapping and lining up in queues waiting eagerly at the ticket windows. As per several reports, the museum located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan had opened its doors for its members on August 27. There are more than 100,000 members, but only 7,500 visitors will be allowed per day. 

The museum has reopened with coronavirus health guidelines and measures in place including limiting its visitors, mandatory mask-wearing, temperatures being checked before entry, and timed ticketing. Reportedly, the museum has also prepared a parking lot for bicycles, as people may prefer avoiding public transport. The museum usually witnesses a huge crowd of nearly 30,000 to 40,000 people on weekends during the normal days. However, upon its reopening, it can only expect 7,000 to 10,000 people per day, and this situation could last for a few more months.

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Museum of Modern Art reopens amid COVID-19 scare

New York City has been by far the worst-hit city in the United States by the novel coronavirus pandemic. Apart from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art has also reopened following a five-month shutdown. The museum reopened on August 27 with a set of strict measures to keep the virus in check. Reportedly, entry will be free for the first month.

As per reports, the American Museum of Natural History plans to reopen to public visitors on September 9. To ensure the safety of visitors, museums in the city have introduced a slew of measures, including reduced hours, reserved tickets, mandatory mask-wearing, limiting attendance to a quarter of capacity and closing movie theatres, coat rooms, and food courts. Reportedly, the Metropolitan Museum of Art was one of the first in New York to be shut down on March 13 and, with no federal guidance, stepped up to help lead a working group of nearly 25 museums in the city to share information and create protocols.

(Image credit: Metropolitan Museum of Art's Instagram)

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