ST. LOUIS — COVID-19 is causing cancellations and closings as officials try to get the surge of cases under control.
Local establishments have decided to shut down temporarily during this time. The latest to do so is the Saint Louis Science Center.
In a news release, the science center wrote, "Due to the surge of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 within the St. Louis community, the Saint Louis Science Center announced it will temporarily close for approximately two weeks."
This will take effect on Monday, Jan. 17 at 4:30 p.m. They plan to reopen at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 3 but will continue to evaluate the situation throughout the closure.
The organization has partnered with the City of St. Louis Department of Health to create tools to help the public learn more about viruses and vaccines over the course of the pandemic.
“Throughout the pandemic, the Science Center has been following guidance from the CDC and city health officials closely to ensure the safety of our community, guests, and team members,” said Todd Bastean, president and CEO of the Science Center. “We are confident that our protocols – including masking, capacity limits, deep cleaning of all spaces, daily health screenings of team members and requiring team members to be fully vaccinated – have been effective in providing a safe environment to visit and work. However, as a science-based community institution, we feel it is important to honor the request of local health officials to stay home as much as possible to help slow the spread of COVID-19 and ease the strain on local healthcare systems.”
Those who have previously purchased tickets for this time period can contact the Science Center’s reservations office at 314-289-4424 during regular business hours.
Tickets for Tyrannosaurs: Meet the Family, previously scheduled to close on Jan. 24, will be refunded.
“We appreciate the community’s support during these challenging times," Bastean added. "Now more than ever, we can see how science is at work in our daily lives. We look forward to welcoming the community back to the Science Center soon and hope that, in the meantime, we all do our part to keep our community as safe as possible.”
Saint Louis Science Center officials said they will continue to provide virtual science content and the latest news about the Science Center on its website, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.