Visitors will be allowed inside Arlington National Cemetery this week for the first time since it closed down in March in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
For the past six months, only people attending funeral and family pass holders could enter the cemetery, reports Stars and Stripes, but starting Wednesday, it will be open to the public every day from 8 a.m. through noon.
Several points of interest will not be open, including the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Women in Military Service for America Memorial, President John F. Kennedy's gravesite, and the amphitheater, as well as exhibits inside the welcome center.
“As conditions in the National Capital Region have continued to improve, our goal is to provide increased access for the public to visit a loved one’s grave site,” cemetery Executive Director Karen Durham-Aguilera said. "We hope this limited reopening will better accommodate our visitors.”
Masks will be required at all times, and members of the public will be screened outside the welcome center before entering the cemetery.
Arlington National Cemetery Superintendent Charles "Ray" Alexander Jr. said in a statement the cemetery's staff is preparing for a full opening in the near future, but first, internal assessments for the care and protection of visitors will be conducted.
“We will evaluate our standard operating procedures and efficiencies to ensure the outstanding visitor experience and high standards people expect when coming to the cemetery," he added.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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