Coronavirus Pandemic Puts Stress on National Park System
Appeals grow to close US national parks during pandemic
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is sticking with its crowd-friendly waiver of entrance fees at national parks during the coronavirus pandemic, as managers at some parks try and fail to keep visitors a safe distance apart and communities appeal for a shutdown at other parks that are still open.
Thousands are crowding into free national parks. And workers are terrified of coronavirus.
Two days before he cursed a supervisor and quit the National Park Service job he loved, Dustin Stone arrived to work in a foul mood. A decision by Interior Secretary David Bernhardt to keep national park sites open despite the coronavirus outbreak left him angry and in disbelief.
National Park Service asks people to practice social distance during coronavirus pandemic
Talk about too close for comfort.
The National Park Service (NPS) is urging visitors to practice safe social distancing at parks that remain open during the coronavirus pandemic.
With the COVID-19 outbreak drastically disrupting daily life for millions of Americans, the great outdoors have become a welcome refuge for many. Inspired, Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt temporarily suspended all park entrance fees last week to make it easier for people to get outdoors. The decision is effective until further notice.