(New York, Thursday, March 12, 2020)—The Metropolitan Museum of Art announced today that it will temporarily close all three locations—The Met Fifth Avenue, The Met Breuer, and The Met Cloisters—starting tomorrow, March 13, to support New York City's effort to contain the spread of COVID-19. The Museum will undertake a thorough cleaning and plans to announce next steps early next week.
Daniel H. Weiss, President and CEO of the Museum, stated: "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. 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. We look forward to soon announcing when we'll be able to welcome our staff and visitors back to the Museum."
The Museum has been preparing for this possibility for several weeks, and has developed an operational plan that is now being put in place, which includes provisions to support salaried and hourly staff.
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March 12, 2020