New York (AFP)

After the Met and the Whitney Museum, the MoMA: the famous Museum of Modern Art in New York announced Monday that it would reopen its doors on August 27, proof that the American economic and cultural capital is regaining some colors after five months of paralysis due to the pandemic.

In a statement, the museum, already closed four months in 2019 for a major renovation, said it would open online reservations, every Friday from August 21, for visits scheduled the following week.

Entrances will be free for the first month.

Reception capacity will be limited, in accordance with guidelines announced Friday by the Governor of New York State. The latter had indicated last week that museums and art galleries could reopen as of August 24, with staggered entries and a reception capacity limited to 25%.

The Met and the Whitney Museum then announced their next reopening, on August 29 and September 3, respectively.

New York has adopted an extremely cautious deconfinement strategy in the face of the coronavirus, which has driven tourists from this city-world and emptied the business districts of Manhattan, a majority of "white-collar workers" switching to telecommuting.

After more than 23,600 deaths recorded in New York itself, mainly in March-April, New York State and its governor Andrew Cuomo now present themselves as a model of control of the epidemic.

Its contamination rate was 0.71% Monday, the lowest in the United States, according to Cuomo.

© 2020 AFP