Visitors to Arlington National Cemetery will be restricted only to family pass holders during the Memorial Day weekend because of health concerns from the coronavirus pandemic, officials said Friday.
Several thousand family pass holders are expected to be on hand during the Memorial Day weekend to visit the graves of their loved ones, said Charles Alexander, the superintendent of Arlington National Cemetery.
“Protecting the health of our employees, service members, contractors and our visitors is paramount,” Mr. Alexander said. “Resuming more routine operations will be deliberate and conditions-based as we abide by (Department of Defense) regulations and CDC guidelines.”
Anyone visiting the cemetery will be asked to show they have some kind of face covering in their possession. The masks must be worn inside restrooms and anywhere else in the cemetery if they are unable to maintain a six foot social distance, cemetery officials said.
The passes authorize the family members to only visit their graves of their loved one. Touring the cemetery is not permitted during the visit, officials said.
The main entrance gate at Memorial Avenue will be the only one open to family pass holders over the holiday weekend. Arlington National Cemetery will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.
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