USS Constitution suspended free public visitation, until further notice, due to increased precautions to prevent rises in Coronavirus (COVID-19).
“Throughout the pandemic, the safety of our guests and Sailors has remained our top priority,” said Cmdr. John Benda, USS Constitution’s commanding officer. “We were proud to safely reopen this Summer, but as the weather gets colder and the situation with the pandemic changes, we are increasing our own preventive measures by closing to the public.”
At this time, no Sailors assigned to USS Constitution have tested positive for COVID-19, and USS Constitution continues to follow all guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Department of the Defense and Navy leadership.
In mid March, USS Constitution closed to public visitation to reduce possible exposure to COVID-19.
In mid August, the ship implemented a reopening plan with a mask requirement, shortened visits, small group sizes and detailed sanitization procedures.
The crew now offers virtual tours on Facebook Live, which have received more than 3.5 million total views since they began in March.
Live virtual tours are scheduled to continue daily on the ship’s Facebook page at 10 a.m.
During each virtual tour, the ship’s active-duty Sailors take viewers through the ship, to include several areas normally closed to the public, and provide an opportunity for viewers to ask live questions.
USS Constitution, is the world’s oldest commissioned warship afloat, and played a crucial role in the Barbary Wars and the War of 1812, actively defending sea lanes from 1797 to 1855.
During normal operations, the active-duty Sailors stationed aboard USS Constitution provide free tours and offer public visitation to more than 600,000 people a year as they support the ship’s mission of promoting the Navy’s history and maritime heritage and raising awareness of the importance of a sustained naval presence.
USS Constitution was undefeated in battle and destroyed or captured 33 opponents.
The ship earned the nickname of Old Ironsides during the war of 1812 when British cannonballs were seen bouncing off the ship’s wooden hull.
The USS Constitution Museum remains open to the public Friday-Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Museum continues to monitor the current public health situation and is also offering digital experiences in its Virtual Museum.
More information is available at usscm.org.
| Date Taken: | 11.16.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 11.16.2020 12:27 |
| Story ID: | 383109 |
| Location: | BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, US |
| Web Views: | 95 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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