Culture minister wants museums to reopen next week
Museums and exhibition venues should reopen at the same time as shopping centers which will hopefully be from the beginning of next week, Minister of Culture Tõnis Lukas (Isamaa) said on Monday.
"It has been proposed to open shopping centers on Monday, May 11. I have proposed that museums and other exhibition venues could open at the same time. The government is aware of this proposal and I believe that it will be so," Lukas told ERR.
Lukas added his proposal does not include a requirement for museum visitors to wear masks, but museum attendants should have access to personal protective equipment. This means screens could be installed at checkouts and employees could wear masks.
The Minister of Culture said touch screens will not be active in museums as there are still new cases of coronavirus but people will still be able to look at the exhibitions.
"So the cultural experience and alternative for families should be open at the same time as the malls."
Lukas said how many people are admitted to a museum at one time depends on the size of the museum but the two-meter social distancing rules will be stuck too.
"Groups could be up to ten people, but of course there is a two-meter gap between each person. A guide could handle smaller and scattered groups. And it could be ensured that not many people gather in one place and the same time," said Tõnis Lukas.
Museums have been closed since the start of the emergency situation in mid-March. Open-air museums and outside exhibitions have been allowed to reopen this week but social distancing rules must be stuck too and groups must not exceed 10 people.
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Editor: Helen Wright