As coronavirus concerns continue to grow, Chicago museums have announced travel restrictions for staff.
Both the Field Museum and the Art Institute of Chicago have suspended travel for employees going to areas deemed both medium and high-risk locations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“We're taking the necessary precautions to ensure that, as always, our facilities are properly disinfected and cleaned to prevent the spread of illnesses,” the Field Museum said in a statement. “Staff travel has been suspended to or through any country rated with a high or medium CDC Travel Alert Level. Our public hours, exhibitions, and events haven't been affected.”
The Art Institute echoed that statement, saying it is “monitoring the situation closely.”
“The safety of our visitors and staff is our first priority and we will continue to update our community as needed,” the museum’s statement read. “No loans or performances have been affected at this point. The museum has suspended travel to medium and high risk locations (as defined by CDC), and we are encouraging staff to reschedule non-essential international travel.”
Across the Chicago area, schools and public places are taking preventative measures as the state confirmed at least four cases of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19. The University of Chicago Medical Center revealed Tuesday it is also treating a fifth suspected coronavirus case, though test results have not yet confirmed that.
The Chicago Transit Authority said it will continue a “rigorous vehicle-cleaning schedule.”
“Vehicles receive daily cleanings, which are general cleanings of the vehicles along with more-concentrated spot cleanings as needed,” the transit agency said in a statement. “These are in addition to regular deep cleans, which entail intensive cleanings of the vehicles’ interior and exterior surfaces.”
Recently, a husband and wife were diagnosed with coronavirus in the Chicago area. The husband, who is being treated at Northwest Community Healthcare in Arlington Heights, remains isolated while the wife was placed under home quarantine. Both were said to be in good condition.
