ARLINGTON, VA - Arlington National Cemetery (ANC) will close to visitors beginning Friday, March 13, 2020 as we take precautionary measures to protect the health of our employees, families and visitors. Funerals will be conducted as scheduled, but family members should contact 1-877-907-8585 for more information on new arrival procedures or if they would like to reschedule a funeral. The cemetery will be open to family pass holders only for visitation from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ANC will continually assess and will update status to the public.
“U.S. Army and Department of Defense guidance is clear: force health protection is paramount,” said Karen Durham-Aguilera, Executive Director, Office of Army National Cemeteries and Arlington National Cemetery. “We have a responsibility to protect our employees, the families of our fallen service members paying respect to their loved ones, and the thousands of visitors per day who come here to appreciate this national shrine. We do not make this decision lightly, but closing our doors to visitors allows us to focus our energy and resources on our core mission of safely laying our nation’s warriors to rest.”
ANC is complying with Department of Defense directives and the supplemental “Force Health Protection Guidance for the Novel Coronavirus Outbreak,” and has implemented risk-based measures consistent with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control.
Ray Alexander, Superintendent, Arlington National Cemetery, stated, “Protecting the health of our force and our visitors is a top priority; we are taking proactive steps to mitigate the spread of the virus, as many of the cemetery’s memorials and visitor spaces do not allow for the recommended ‘social distancing’ that is called for by medical guidelines.”
Families who arrive at ANC for their scheduled funerals are being asked to remain in their cars when they arrive into the designated queuing lanes. For more information on how to proceed once you arrive at Arlington, please visit our website at: www.ArlingtonCemetery.mil.
Arlington National Cemetery would like to thank our dedicated workforce and service members who must remain at the cemetery to ensure that the nation’s veterans and families receive the dignified honors they deserve. We also remind everyone to adhere to the guidance outlined by the CDC to avoid contracting or spreading respiratory illnesses like the flu or COVID-19.
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