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Eiffel Tower to Reopen After Longest Closure Since World War Two

Associated Press

   PARIS - Workers are preparing the Eiffel Tower for reopening next week,
   after the coronavirus pandemic led to the iconic Paris landmark's
   longest closure since World War Two.

   France's tourism industry is opening back up, but the 324-meter tall
   wrought-iron tower won't immediately welcome visitors the way it did
   before the country went into lockdown in March.

   Only limited numbers of people will be allowed in when the Eiffel Tower
   opens again on June 25. Elevators to the top will be out of service, at
   least at first, and only the first and second floors will be accessible
   to the public.

   "At first, only visits by the stairs will be available," Victoria
   Klahr, the spokeswoman for the tower's management, said Tuesday.

   Everyone over 11 years old will be required to wear face masks, and
   crowd control measures will be in place.

   "We are optimistic that visitor numbers will pick up, even if it will
   likely be local tourists who visit the monument in the first weeks,"
   Klahr said.

   The tower's director told The Associated Press on Tuesday that he hopes
   access will be back to normal by August.

   A stringent cleaning operation is in place and will continue daily from
   next week.

   "There is a new protocol," said Eiffel Tower hygiene consultant Alain
   Miralles. "The day cleaning teams will be able to clean all the points
   of contact every two hours, from the opening of the site to its
   closing."

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