Dear Getty Community,

I write today with further updates in the rapidly evolving situation surrounding the coronavirus COVID-19.  In these unprecedented circumstances, the well-being of our employees, visitors, docents and volunteers is paramount. 

After much consultation with public health officials, we are taking the following preventive measures and actions:

• For now, the museums and library at both Getty Center and Getty Villa remain open to the public. 
• We have cancelled large public events beginning this weekend with the Selected Shorts performance and the Mesopotamia exhibition opening next Tuesday.  A full list of cancelled events will be posted online.  Public health officials state that an optimal size for public events is fewer than 50 people.
• Effective Monday, we will be cancelling school visits and group tours. We are notifying docents and volunteers that their services will not be required until further notice.
• We have closed the Family Rooms at both locations.  We are also reducing the number of people inside each tram car.
• We are imposing further travel restrictions for business travel.  All international and domestic business travel is strongly discouraged.  Any mission-critical business travel will require approval from senior management.
• We strongly suggest that all employees carefully consider any personal travel.  Staff traveling for personal reasons, even within the U.S., may be asked to self-quarantine for 14 days before returning to work.
• Other basic measures remain in place: Employees should not come to work sick, waiting 72 hours to return after a fever, and follow proper hygiene protocols. Our work schedules, routine small-group meetings and work activities are proceeding as usual, and employees are to continue to report for work in our current locations.

 

We will continue to closely monitor the situation and take additional precautions as needed in the coming days.  We do not have a timeline for how long many of these preventive measures will be in place, but we expect that most of them will continue through at least May. 

We recognize that these measures will raise a number of questions for all of you. We will be updating the Coronavirus Questions and Answers document in Getty GO as more information becomes available.  Please send any additional questions you may have to internalcommunications@getty.edu.

I am deeply grateful to you all for your dedication to your work and for your patience and flexibility during this unsettling time.  We will keep you informed when there is new information to share.

Thank you.

Jim

 

James Cuno
President & CEO
J. Paul Getty Trust

1200 Getty Center Drive, Suite 400

Los Angeles, CA 90049
T (310) 440 7600  |  getty.edu