London Science Museum reopens after five-month closure

02:30

London Science Museum has reopened its doors for the first time since March after the COVID-19 pandemic forced the tourist attract to close for five months.

The UK government announced back in July that museums would be allowed to reopen providing they implemented a host of strict social distancing measures.

The museum has now been modified in order to manage capacity and ensure people keep their distance inside the venue.

London Science Museum has reopened for the first time since March after the COVID-19 pandemic forced the tourist attraction to close its doors for five months./CGTN

Dr Julia Knights, deputy director at the museum told CGTN: "In order to keep our visitors safe, we're really managing numbers, managing the capacity, ensuring that social distancing is possible throughout, we've got an enhanced cleaning regime. We're asking our visitors to come with masks and indeed our team are wearing masks."

Interest in science is at an all-time high as medical experts attempt to halt the spread of the virus and find a vaccine and the museum will soon incorporate new features to reflect society's fight against the pandemic.

Knights added: Our curators, with great sensitivity, are identifying stories and identifying objects to collect for the long-term to add to our permanent collection of 7.3 million objects reflecting the economic, industrial, scientific and personal responses to the pandemic."

The museum's curators are busy identifying stories and objects to add to their collection to reflect the scientific fight against the pandemic./CGTN

The museum's closure has seen it lose millions of dollars in revenue. Half of the venue's visitors are tourists and with international travel badly hit by the pandemic, income is likely to be affected for the foreseeable future, but entrance will remain free.

Visitors have flocked to the museum this week and feedback has been positive as people gradually return to tourist attractions and resume normal life.

Visitor Daniella Jenkins, said: "It's been really interesting, it's been really nice to come out with the family after a long time of just not being able to engage, they've really had a great time today."

Another museum visitor, Lloyd Brook, added: "It's just education isn't it? And it's great for tourism, you walk around and you see lots of nationalities around and obviously that's important.”