LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Monday, June 8 marked the next phase of reopening in Kentucky as part of Governor Andy Beshear’s Healthy at Work plan. The reopening of distilleries, museums and outdoor attractions was good news for the Louisville Tourism community.
Stacey Yates, a spokesperson for Louisville Tourism, said the industry has lost more than $200 million since the coronavirus shutdown started. With city attractions reopening in the state, she is opening the city sees an uptick in travel.
"Before we hit this pandemic interest in demand for Louisville was very high so we have no reason to believe that it won't be again," Yates said.
While libraries in the state have been given the green light to open, the Louisville Free Public Library is holding off for now. The LFPL is still sorting out a plan but is offering limited curbside service one day per week at its 10 locations for now.
Museums were also part of Monday’s reopening plan. The Kentucky Derby Museum officially opened its doors, and the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory and Frazier History Museum plan to welcome visitors later this week.
The Louisville Zoo will reopen on Friday with tickets on sale the day before. The first phase of the zoo’s reopening will be for members only. Director John Walczak said the temporary shutdown was a good call for safety.
"But at the same time, it kind of broke out hearts because the zoo is a place for people to come to de-stress to forget about the stresses of everyday life,” he said.
Walczak said while the team was able to raise some funds to stay afloat during the shutdown, the zoo is still facing a budget deficit.
"It's tough with our budget for this fiscal year which ends in June, we're going to be well over $2 million, close to $3 million behind on budget," he said.
The Louisville Zoo expects to see about 900 visitors on Friday when it reopens. They'll start slow, but gradually increase their attendance because safety is their first priority.
Animal footprints throughout the zoo will be spaced eight feet apart to encourage social distancing and staff will constantly check and clean high-touch areas.
Contact reporter Senait Gebregiorgis at SGebregior@whas11.com and follow her on Twitter and Facebook.
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