After six months of closure, visitors are delighted to find an almost deserted museum

Enjoying famous Monet, Van Gogh or Warhol in peace: after almost six months of closure due to the coronavirus pandemic, the famous MoMA museum in New York was, this Thursday, the first major museum in the city to reopen its doors. doors, to the delight of its rare visitors.

While major European museums like the Louvre have reopened for several weeks, New York museums have only been authorized to do so since this week. A reception capacity limited to 25%, temperature controls at the entrance and strict distancing measures have been put in place.

Our opening day is finally here!

We’re thrilled to welcome you back with Milton Glaser’s iconic I ❤ NY, a symbol of hope and enduring love for the city.

Thank you @UniqloUSA for making free access to MoMA possible through 9/27.

Plan your trip: https://t.co/9EVUxkpzH9 pic.twitter.com/yMOL5PPDgX

— MoMA The Museum of Modern Art (@MuseumModernArt) August 27, 2020

One hundred visitors per hour

Under these conditions and with a tourist sector at a standstill, only a few art lovers had reserved a time slot for this first day. But they were able to enjoy the museum’s many masterpieces as never before. “I like it when there aren’t too many people, when people don’t talk and don’t take pictures,” says a 66-year-old retiree. “This is all great. […] In recent years, the museum has attracted people who just wanted to tick a box on their list of things to do in New York, it just wasn’t the same. “

For now, MoMA is limited to welcoming 100 people per hour, although it hopes to gradually increase this figure, explains Sonya Shrier, in charge of relations with visitors at the museum. “It’s a great time to visit the museum, there are fewer people, and it’s also a great opportunity for visitors to get together safely. […] in this difficult period, ”she adds. The reopening has been carefully prepared, and “it’s really gratifying to see it implemented, to see the doors open and the visitors coming back”.

Gradual reopening of other museums

New York’s largest museum, the Metropolitan Museum, will reopen this Saturday and most other museums are scheduled to reopen by early October. Hit hard in the spring by the coronavirus with more than 23,600 dead, the American economic and cultural capital is now a model for controlling the epidemic, with a contamination rate of around 1%.

But the metropolis, synonymous with hyperactivity and mass tourism is still idling, so strong is the fear of a second wave. Many employees are still teleworking, the business districts are deserted, and many stores have still not reopened.

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