Staff at Paris’s Louvre Museum have voted ‘almost unanimously’ to not work due to fears over the coronavirus.
That means the world’s most visited museum will be closed this week, and the near future.
More than 300 members of the Louvre’s CGT labour union met on Sunday to discuss coronavirus fears. The Louvre museum management later confirmed that the museum would be closed, and ticket-holders would be refunded.
“We apologise for any inconvenience and will keep you informed as the situation develops,” the museum said on its website.
The Louvre received almost 10 million visitors last year, most of them foreigners.
On Saturday, the French government cancelled all gatherings of more than 5,000 people in a confined space.
“The Louvre is a confined space which welcomes more than 5,000 people a day,” said Christian Galani, a representative of the Louvre’s labour union. “There is a real concern on the part of staff,” he added.
Louvre staff are demanding protective measures if the museum were to open again, including hand sanitising gel and window barriers to separate cashiers from members of the public.
Earlier this week, the museum’s special Leonardo da Vinci exhibition reported an all-
Time visitor record, of nearly 1.1 million people.
