Metropolitan Museum of Art reopens in New York

New York City's biggest art museum opened to visitors on Thursday for the first time since the pandemic hit the city. The Metropolitan Museum of Art on the Upper East Side of Manhattan opened its doors to members, of which there are more than 100,000, though only 7,500 visitors will be allowed in per day. On Saturday the museum opens to the general public. New York City was by far the hardest-hit U.S. city by the pandemic. It's also home to world-class cultural institutions that have for decades — and city leaders hope will once again — draw millions. Across town, the Museum of Modern Art also opened on Thursday. The American Museum of Natural History plans to reopen to the public Sept. 9. Museums in the city have instituted a range of precautions, including reduced hours, reserved tickets, mandating masks, limiting attendance to a quarter of capacity, and closing movie theaters, coat rooms and food courts.