Coronavirus shutters Broadway, Metropolitan Museum of Art; White House tours canceled
Major tourist hot spots across the country, including the White House and Broadway, are taking precautionary measures by closing to help prevent the spread of coronavirus.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced a ban on gatherings of more than 500 people in a news conference Thursday afternoon, shuttering Broadway as of 5 p.m. Thursday, at least until April 12, according to The Broadway League.
Many shows are in or set to begin previews in the coming weeks. Currently, the official cutoff date for shows to open to be eligible for the 2019-2020 Tony Awards season is April 23. The nominees are set to be announced April 28, with the awards ceremony set for June 7.
Broadway national tours across the country also have canceled performances.
The White House and the U.S. Capitol are closed to tours until April 1, the House and Senate Sergeant at Arms announced Thursday, effective as of 4:30 p.m. EST. The Capitol Visitor Center will be closed to tours “out of concern for the health and safety of congressional employees and the public” amid broader fears about the spread of the coronavirus. During this time, only staff, credentialed press and those with official business will be allowed entry.
New York City sees closures, cancellations at the Met, Carnegie Hall, Broadway
The Metropolitan Museum of Art also announced Thursday it would temporarily close its doors at its three locations – the Met Fifth Avenue, The Met Breuer and The Met Cloisters – starting Friday.
The Met said in a statement it “will undertake a thorough cleaning and plans to announce next steps early next week.”
“The Met’s priority is to protect and support our staff, volunteers, and visitors, and we have been taking several proactive precautionary measures, including discouraging travel to affected areas, implementing rigorous cleaning routines, and staying in close communication with New York City health officials and the Centers for Disease Control,” said Daniel H. Weiss, the museum’s president and CEO, in a release.
“While we don’t have any confirmed cases connected to the Museum, we believe that we must do all that we can to ensure a safe and healthy environment for our community, which at this time calls for us to minimize gatherings while maintaining the cleanest environment possible,” Weiss continued.
As for the annual Met Gala held at the museum, Met spokesperson Nancy Chilton said, “Given the uncertain public health environment, we will review on a rolling basis which museum events beyond April 3 will be cancelled or postponed. We are hoping for the best, but public health and safety are our first priorities.”
Carnegie Hall also said Thursday all upcoming events and programming from Friday through March 31 are canceled.
Those who purchased tickets by credit card from Carnegie Hall for a performance that has been canceled will receive automatic refunds, and those who purchased with cash can also receive a refund through June 30.
“With the health and safety of its public, artists, and staff as its foremost priority, Carnegie Hall today announced that it will be closed for all public events and programming through the end of March, effective midnight tonight, in an effort to reduce the spread of the new coronavirus,” the concert hall said in a statement.
Carnegie Hall had already postponed a March 27 performance by Gamin and the Nangye Gugak Orchestra “due to current challenges with traveling from South Korea related to the coronavirus.”
The Frick Collection also announced Thursday it will close its galleries and libraries and cancel all planned events. Visitors requesting a refund for these events are encouraged to contact the institution directly.
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Smithsonian museums remain open, regional landmarks close
The Smithsonian said in a release Thursday that all its museums and the National Zoo will remain open. However, “as a public health precaution due to COVID-19” all rentals, public events (including its annual Museum Day), programming and gatherings through May 3 are postponed or canceled, the Smithsonian said in a release.
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., announced the cancellation of performances and public events through March 31, effective Friday. Three events on Thursday will continue as scheduled. The Kennedy Center campus and its facilities will be closed to visitors. Tickets for events can be exchanged or fully refunded, according to a release from the Kennedy Center.
Boston’s John F. Kennedy Library announced Thursday in a release that it was closing immediately “after learning that two employees attended a conference at the Row Hotel in Somerville, MA last week where other attendees were confirmed to have come down with the coronavirus.” The library said both employees are in self-quarantine, and encouraged people who visited the library between March 5 and March 11 to “monitor your health for symptoms of coronavirus, including fever, cough, and shortness of breath.”
Walking tours impacted by coronavirus
Though travel is diminishing as coronavirus concerns increase, some tours are still available for those interested.
Free Tours by Foot, a walking tour company which operates in DC, Seattle, Chicago, New York City and a dozen other North American cities, said it is still hosting tours on a smaller scale.
“The vast majority of our tours take place outside in small groups already. Our focus is on continuing to offer these and to arrange private tours to individual families and small groups travelling together who do not need to travel far to reach us. Like many in the service industry, we have worked with guides to take measures to help ensure the health of our guides and guests – we have a vast knowledge of where the bathrooms are to wash hands and we encourage online payment rather than cash.”
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Contributing: Nicholas Wu, Christal Hayes, Sara Moniuszko; Ilana Keller, Asbury Park Press
