Paris’s famed Louvre Museum has once again opened its doors to visitors, albeit with tight protocols to keep visitors safe from the possible spread of viral infection, Donald Wood of Travel Pulse reported.
The Louvre closed due to the coronavirus outbreak for nearly four months, the report said.
According to The Agence France-Presse, the popular French tourist attraction implemented a stringent new set of health and safety rules.
Closed since March 13, the Louvre Museum now requires guests to wear facial coverings at all times, book reservations ahead of time to limit the number of visitors, follow a guide and more.
In total, around 70% of the Louvre is accessible for viewing again, the report said.
Museum director Jean-Luc Martinez said, “it’s very emotional for all the teams that have prepared this reopening.”
While the Louvre Museum hosted 9.6 million visitors in 2019 — with as many as 50,000 people entering the facility per day — officials will limit entries to about 7,000 per day, the report said.
Monday may have been the grand reopening of the historic art museum, but several dozen tour operators protested outside the Louvre for more government support during the coronavirus crisis and its impact on the travel industry, according to Reuters.
France infused around US$19 billion into its tourism sector in May, but tour guides on short-term contracts were still facing imminent financial hardship as the funds were not reaching the people within the industry who need it most.