Reopening update: We continue to evaluate health data
Dear Colleagues,
Last week, the National Museum of American History and the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. opened their doors to visitors. They join several other facilities including museums, gardens, and the zoo that have successfully resumed public operations. Reaching this milestone is a testament to your hard work, and I congratulate you.
I also want to thank the museums’ frontline staff who welcomed visitors, the individuals working behind-the-scenes who laid the crucial groundwork, and our colleagues in the central support units who have cared for our facilities and safeguarded our community since the start of this pandemic. That has been no small feat.
Like you, I yearn for the Smithsonian to return to doing what it does best, serving the public. We have good momentum and a strong desire to move forward. We also recognize that while we are focused on the finish line, we must pace ourselves and plan accordingly to ensure we reach that goal.
Many of you are aware of news reports warning of a potential surge in new COVID-19 cases as fall approaches. As schools reopen, events resume, people begin spending more time indoors, and government restrictions ease, the risk of spreading COVID-19 may increase. We are aware of this and will continue to vigilantly monitor the external landscape for the health and safety of our community.
Although we continue to plan, we are not reopening additional museums for the time being. I know that this may be especially difficult for the museums and centers that remain closed, but we must ensure our progress is sustainable. We have set a high bar for reopening and will evaluate our capacity and performance before moving forward. Our facilities that are open will remain open, and we will continue learning from their experiences and looking out for the health and safety of our staff and visitors.
As we have since the beginning, we will continue to evaluate health data in the communities where we live and work. This data, most of which is from publicly available sources, is gathered daily, analyzed, and distributed to senior leadership and our Emergency Operations Group. Our COVID-19 Response Team guides these efforts and works with individuals across the Institution to make sure we are moving at a rate that supports the safety of our staff and visitors. If circumstances change, we can and will take a step back.
We have come so far, but there is a long road ahead. Please join me in celebrating where we are and take a moment to catch your breath as we look forward. Thank you for your patience, endurance, and fortitude.
Sincerely,
Lonnie Bunch
Secretary
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Posted: 1 October 2020
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