World-Famous Museum Closes Due to Coronavirus Concerns
Fears of infection from the coronavirus led workers of the famed Louvre in Paris to refuse to go to work Sunday, forcing the closure of the museum.
On Saturday, the French government banned indoor gatherings of more than 5,000 people, according to the BBC.
The edict was passed as a tactic to limit the spread of the virus.
On Sunday, the union representing Louvre workers held a meeting. The Louvre welcomes millions of foreign visitors annually.
“The meeting was arranged to discuss the concerns of staff,” union official Christian Galani said, noting that the museum’s management could not persuade employees to go to work.
“The Louvre is a confined space which welcomes more than 5,000 people a day,” Galani said. “There is real concern on the part of staff.”
“We are very worried because we have visitors from everywhere,” Andre Sacristin, a Louvre employee and union representative, said, according to The Associated Press.
“The risk is very, very, very great,” he said.
Sacristin said that although no infections have been reported among Louvre staff, given the vast numbers of people from all over the world who come to the museum, “it’s only a question of time.”
Workers asked for masks but were only given an alcohol-based solution with which to clean their hands, he said.
“That didn’t please us at all,” he said.
Sacristin said the ban on large gatherings triggered new fears among employees, as did the presence of workers from northern Italy who were at the Louvre to take back works by Leonardo da Vinci that had been loaned to the museum.
Italy has had more than 1,600 coronavirus cases and 34 reported deaths. France has had 130 cases, with two reported deaths.
Wow, the Louvre staff union voted to close over Coronavirus concern-and it closed. I’m trying to think of any major American institution that would follow a vote of the staff as opposed to waiting on management. https://t.co/cvSaq8l8Xh
— ((LesterPolchlopek)) (@LPolchlopek) March 1, 2020
They’re part of a very large union (CGT) & from what I can tell, their vote to close is either law or guaranteed in their contract. It might also be part of the longer struggle at the Louvre to get management to do more to control crowds (or hire more people)
— John Russell (@johnruss28) March 1, 2020
On Monday, the Louvre announced that it would remain closed.
⚠️ An informational meeting on the public health situation linked to Covid-19 prevention measures following the ministerial instructions transmitted by the competent authorities has delayed the opening of the #Louvre on Monday, March 2.
The museum cannot open at the moment. pic.twitter.com/Kcs92vFKhQ
— Musée du Louvre (@MuseeLouvre) March 2, 2020
Sacristin said visitors should be screened for the virus, and if any cases are confirmed, “then the museum should be closed.”
Galani said the Louvre should be covered by the ban on large gatherings,.
“You will easily admit that the Louvre Museum is a confined space and that it receives more than 5,000 people a day,” he said.
Culture Minister Frank Reister, however, said the visitors are not all in one room at the same time.
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