By Katia Heter | CNN
Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks have closed to park visitors until further notice due to public health concerns, Yellowstone National Park announced in a statement.
Fearing the potential risk of exposure to novel coronavirus, the parks had been continuously reducing public access to National Park Service sites across the country, while promoting social distancing for people who still visited the park sites that remained open.
Local and state officials in the areas surrounding the parks had requested that they close to the public.
State highways and roads that cross park or state boundaries and “facilities that support life safety and commerce will remain open” the statement said.
“The National Park Service listened to the concerns from our local partners and, based on current health guidance, temporarily closed the parks,” said Yellowstone Superintendent Cam Sholly and Grand Teton Acting Superintendent Gopaul Noojibail, in the statement.
“We are committed to continued close coordination with our state and local partners as we progress through this closure period and are prepared when the timing is right to reopen as quickly and safely as possible.”
The nation’s first national park, Yellowstone National Park is also its sixth most popular national park, with 4 million visitors last year. It’s located in three states — Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.
Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming is the eighth most popular national park, with 3.4 million visitors in 2019.
The two parks are coordinating the closure together since they are located about 30 miles apart.
