by Donald Wood
Last updated: 3:05 PM ET, Mon July 6, 2020
The Louvre Museum in Paris has reopened to the public for the first time Monday after being closed due to the coronavirus outbreak for nearly four months.
According to The Agence France-Presse, the popular French tourist attraction implemented a stringent new set of health and safety protocols to keep visitors safe from the possible spread of the viral infection.
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 percent of the Louvre is accessible for viewing again. 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.
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 $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.
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