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Shenandoah National Park closed for public health safety during COVID-19 outbreak

"The health and safety of our visitors, employees, volunteers, and partners is our number one priority."

VIRGINIA, USA — After a push by state health officials, Shenandoah National Park will be closing to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

This comes after the National Park Service received a letter from the Rappahanock Rapidian Health District of the Virginia Department of Health.

Park administrators decided it would be best to close the park effective immediately. However, highways that run through the park will remain open for motorists to drive through only. A reopening date has not been set.

"The health and safety of our visitors, employees, volunteers, and partners is our number one priority. The NPS is working servicewide with federal, state, and local authorities to closely monitor the COVID-19 pandemic. The park will notify the public when it resumes full operations..."

Shenandoah National Park, in response to guidance from Virginia Depa... rtment of Health, is announcing additional modifications to operations which support federal, state, local and the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention's (CDC) efforts to promote social distancing and slow the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

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