For Your Health: Important Information on the Coronavirus

The following is information provided by the Human Resources Department:

Dear Colleagues,

The Museum is actively monitoring coronavirus developments. Our top concern, of course, is to ensure the health and safety of our staff and visitors. We write today to provide further updates and specific guidance for Museum staff.  For all, The Met is following the counsel of the Center for Disease Control and our governmental partners. We will continue to provide updates as the situation evolves.

Health and Safety Measures

At this time, the guidance from the CDC and others is to follow the best practices for preventing flu contagion. The basics are still essential – frequent hand washing, staying home if you are ill, covering mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, avoiding touching eyes, nose, or mouth, and cleaning work and other frequently-touched surfaces. As of this time, Purell and alcohol-based wipes should have been procured and distributed to your departments. If you require these supplies to be refreshed or increased, please alert your department head and (where applicable) administrator. Please note that the wearing of masks is not recommended by the CDC as a meaningful protection, but staff who wish to wear masks may do so.

Museum Travel

International SOS, our travel resource, provides updates and alerts to staff members who are currently traveling. In the case of staff that are traveling to an impacted area, the Museum will continue to monitor developments, and any traveling staff may work with the Travel Desk to cancel or reschedule travel if they wish. If you have concerns about your upcoming Museum travel, please speak with your manager for support.

Personal Travel

Personal travel is, of course, at the discretion of the individual. For those who are traveling, we provide this link to the CDC updates on travel guidance to areas associated with coronavirus. Anyone returning from impacted areas may wish to contact their manager and Human Resources to discuss their return to work.

Museum Operations

The Museum is fully operational and will remain so unless guidance from the CDC and governmental agencies indicates otherwise. We will adjust as circumstances require, always keeping in mind the welfare of staff and visitors. The situation is continually evolving, and we will provide updates regularly.

Additional Resources

We encourage you to review the following additional resources:

• Direct link to Museum International SOS Membership Portal Page
•  Information on Coronavirus from the New York State Department of Health
• Situation Summary from the CDC
• Q&A on Coronavirus from the World Health Organization

If anyone has particular concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact HumanResources@metmuseum.org.