Boston museums continue cleaning protocols to prevent spread of Covid and other viruses

BOSTON — The holiday vacation week is just getting started and families are already looking for things to do – while also trying to do it without coming down with something.

Medical experts have been warning that there is expected to be a high volume of sickness this holiday season. We first saw it over Thanksgiving, with people catching everything from Covid to the flu to other respiratory viruses.

Boston 25 spent the day looking to see how different museums for kids are working to keep families safer.

The Boston Children’s Museum is crawling with kids having fun. But of course, there is also the chance for getting catching something.

One young visitor told us, “Wash your hands and if you don’t have anywhere to wash your hands, use hand sanitizer.”

Many Boston museums including the Boston Children’s Museum have intensified their cleaning protocols through Covid.

Justine DeCotis, the Children Museum’s senior manager of visitor experience, told us the museum has been extremely aggressive with cleaning protocols.

“We actually close in the middle of the day to reset the building, give everything a wipe-down,” said DeCotis.

Bins are installed near every exhibit to help keep those germs at bay.

“If something goes in a child’s mouth, we ask our visitors to put something in there and we give it a extra wipe down before it goes back out to the floor,” explained DeCotis.

At the New England Aquarium, employees also work to enforce health and safety protocols. Officials released this statement to explain:

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the New England Aquarium has provided a safe, fun, and educational environment while enforcing health and safety protocols. Our team regularly cleans surfaces throughout the main building and Simons Theatre, and we are constantly changing out recirculated air with outside air. Staff members are continuously monitoring the number of people in our building at a given time, with timed ticketing and capacity restrictions still in place to provide the best experience possible for our guests. While masks are not required, they are encouraged for both guests and staff. We are trusting that people continue to self-monitor for illness symptoms and reschedule their visit if they’re not feeling well.

The Boston Museum of Science lists some of its implemented protocols and procedures on its website. The Children’s Museum says during their 90-minute daily shutdown they give everything a full reset.

“Our housekeeping team goes through the whole building and gives a whole clean down, wipe down, reset all the exhibits. Get all the pieces back where they belong,” said DeCotis. “Parents really like that knowing when they walk in that it is a fresh start and I think it helps families structure the day with meals, naps and what not.”

The Boston Children’s Museum plans to keep this 90-minute shutdown in the middle of the day in place until further notice.

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