The Trump administration abruptly closed the Washington Monument after a recent visit by Interior Secretary David Bernhardt, who tested positive this week for coronavirus.
Interior spokesman Nicholas Goodwin said Friday that "a couple" of employees have quarantined since Bernhardt’s private tour, "resulting in a temporary workforce reduction at the monument and its temporary closure." The National Park Service posted a brief notice of the closure on its website Thursday.
An official with an independent advocacy group for national parks and park workers on Friday criticized Bernhardt, saying the interior secretary had failed to protect employees' health and safety during the pandemic.