Slowly, surely, and most of all, safely, New York is taking a baby step towards normalcy, in the form of a popular tourist attraction that’s planning its reopening.
The Empire State Building, which is one of the most famous landmarks in NYC (if not the world…but I grew up there and I’m biased), has called its employees in for training, because on July 20th, they’re reopening the building’s observation deck!
The reopening will include new protocols and processes, which will be in compliance with government requirements. They’ll initially start with the state’s Phase 4 capacity guidelines, which will include entry via online reservations only.
Entry will include a contactless temperature check, with a requirement of a temperature that’s less than 100.4 degrees. All guests must wear a facial covering and maintain social distancing (markers will be available) while visiting.
Of course, they’re making sure the exhibit remains safe. Some interactive exhibits will run on automatic mode and the binocular viewers will be closed. Besides their normal cleaning, they’ll also use an overnight electrostatic disinfectant spray of the entire observatory space, and frequent cleaning of high touch surfaces. Hosts will wear PPE (masks, face shields and gloves), and hand sanitizers will be available for use throughout the experience. They have also just finished a $165M renovation that includes new air quality measures.
Hours will be 8a-11p in July, 8a-midnight in August and back to 8a-11p in September.
Click here for more info or to purchase tickets. Oh, and if you’re a New Yorker, they’re suggesting that the reduced capacity and lack of tourists will make for a unique ‘New York for New Yorkers’ experience. An’ hey! Not fuh nuthin’, New Yawkahs, but quit rollin’ ya eyes! š (said in my best “Statn’Nylin” accent)
Start spreadin’ the news…..
#stayhealthy #staysafe #washyourhands #wearamask
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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
2 comments
Please don’t advertise that New York is ready for tourists right now or encourage readers to visit. We don’t want tourists. We have a two-week mandatory quarantine for visitors from most states. We have a much stricter culture around masks in public than almost everywhere else. Public transit ridership needs to be kept low so it’s safe for essential workers.
Go to a national park, go hiking, go to an empty beach, but please do not come to New York City right now. We don’t want tourists right now–it’s not safe and it’s not the time. We’ll welcome you with open arms when it’s safe–when the rest of the country has effectively suppressed the pandemic as well as we have.
I totally hear you, Daniel. Central Florida, where I live, is in the same position. However a blog isn’t going to encourage or discourage anyone; people are going to go to NY (Or Florida. Or Arizona. Or…), or not, regardless of what we do or don’t write about.
People are still going to do what they’re going to do and we just have to hope they make smart decisions.
The theme parks down here are all open now. I think it’s dangerous to travel here. But we’re still going to tell people they’re open.
And hey, at least if they visit NY, there’s a 22/50 chance that they’ll have to quarantine when they get there. That’s not the case in FL. š