Iconic tourist site shuts its doors in response to coronavirus crisis
Liverpool tourist attraction The Beatles Story is the latest venue to shut its doors in response to the coronavirus crisis.
The decision to temporarily close the Royal Albert Dock attraction from close of business today (March 17) until April 6, came shortly after Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson called on the Government and Chancellor of the Exchequer to provide financial support for UK business, in particular the tourism, cultural and conference and events sector so important to the city region.
The Beatles Story said that, while there had been no reported cases of the virus at the site, “in response to the current situation and in the interest of the health and well-being of all our employees, visitors and partners, we have made the decision to temporarily close The Beatles Story exhibition”.
This afternoon’s statement added: “We understand that this inconvenience will be a huge disappointment to our valued customers, but ultimately we all want to protect the health and safety of our visitors, employees and communities and we believe that this is the right decision to make during these challenging times.”
The business said it will continue to monitor the situation closely and recommended customers to refer to its website and social media channels for further updates.
It added: “We look forward to welcoming our visitors back to The Beatles Story and send our very best wishes to all our customers and partners to stay safe and well in these difficult times for everyone.”
National Museums Liverpool also announced it was closing venues.
It said that, in line with government recommendations, all National Museums Liverpool venues are now temporarily closed to the public until further notice to support efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19.
“The health and safety of our visitors, volunteers and staff is our top priority and, while we understand many of you will be disappointed by the closures, we do not wish to put people at unnecessary risk,” a statement said.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak unveiled a new package of financial support in today’s daily Downing Street news conference on measures to tackle the crisis, but for some the aid has come too late.
The Aintree Grand National meeting, due to take place next month and worth around £12m to the Liverpool City Region economy, was cancelled on Monday night.
