BOSTON (WHDH) - The Museum of Science and the New England Aquarium are among the latest tourist attractions to announce temporary closures amid coronavirus concerns in Massachusetts.
The museum will be closed for three weeks as a preemptive measure “to protect staff, volunteers, and the public from the rapidly evolving exposure to COVID-19,” officials said in an email.
The aquarium will also be closed for a three-week period as “a precautionary move to protect staff, visitors, and animals,” aquarium staff said.
Other cultural institutions, including the Institute of Contemporary Art, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, the Harvard Art Museums and the Museum of Fine Arts made the decision to close their doors to the public ‘”to ensure the health and safety of our staff” and to encourage social distancing as a way to control the spread of the virus,”‘ according to a joint statement.
All institutions cite Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance or the World Health Organization in their decision making.
The Boston Children’s Museum will also be closed until April 3, according to staff, as presumptive positive cases in Massachusetts continue to rise.
None of the institutions have experienced any known cases of the virus, according to staff.
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