The interior of the Washington Monument will be temporarily closed to visitors beginning Friday due to a reduction in workforce from exposure to the coronavirus, the National Park Service said Thursday.
The park service said the monument could not be operated safely after accounting for the staffing shortage.
The monument reopened in October of this year after a six-month hiatus due to the outbreak of COVID-19.
A spokesman for the National Park Service said at the time that the reopening would be dependent on health metrics remaining above a certain threshold and that they were prepared to shut it down again.
The Park Service did not give a timeline for the monument to reopen, saying, “NPS is working to staff the Washington Monument at the appropriate levels to maintain the safety of its operations for visitors and employees.”
- Sign up for WTOP alerts
- Latest coronavirus test results in DC, Maryland and Virginia
- 2nd COVID-19 vaccine set for OK in US with panel endorsement
- COVID-19 pandemic has piled many more tasks on oldest child
- Snags on COVID-19 relief may force weekend sessions
- Snow days, virtual opera: The office holiday party goes on
Looking for more information? D.C., Maryland and Virginia are each releasing more data every day. Visit their official sites here: Virginia | Maryland | D.C.