New York City museums now have the green light to reopen starting Aug. 24.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s go-ahead comes roughly a month after the city entered Phase 4 of reopening from the pandemic lockdown in mid-July, according to the Wall Street Journal. Cuomo had postponed the reopening of museums, gyms, indoor dining and movie theaters, citing concerns about the safety of indoor activities.
Read more
Politics
New York
What NYC’s phase 4 means for real estate
Commercial
New York
Outdoor dining to return next summer — for restaurants that survive
Commercial
New York
New York City indoor dining postponed indefinitely
The state’s overall infection rate has remained low in the past few weeks, giving officials confidence that museums can safely resume operations at limited capacity.
Museums must cap occupancy at 25 percent, issue timed tickets to ensure staggered entry and require visitors to wear face masks at all times, Cuomo said.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is scheduled to reopen Aug. 29. Visitors ages 2 and older will be required to wear face coverings and maintain social distancing.
The American Museum of Natural History is set to reopen Sept. 2 for members and Sept. 9 for the general public, with similar requirements for visitors in place. The museum has reportedly updated ventilation systems and added plexiglass barriers to ticket counters.
The Museum of Jewish Heritage is scheduled to reopen Sept. 9 for three days a week, down from its previous schedule of six days a week. [WSJ] — Akiko Matsuda