"The Trump administration closed the Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island on Monday in response to the coronavirus outbreak. It joined at least 10 other sites that were shuttered within the National Mall and the Golden Gate Recreation Area over the weekend.

According to the National Park Service website, visitors are now barred from popular sites such as the Washington Monument and Ford’s Theatre National Historic Site in Washington, as well as Alcatraz Island and Muir Woods National Monument in northern California.

“The health and safety of people working at and entering Liberty and Ellis Islands is our number one priority,” said a statement issued by the Park Service, a division of the Interior Department. “The park is working with the NPS Office of Public Health, U.S. Public Health Service, and state and local authorities to closely monitor the outbreak of respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus.”"

Darryl Fears and Juliet Eilperin report for the Washington Post March 16, 2020. [2]