Washington (AFP)

Life is gradually resuming in Washington with the announced reopening of several emblematic places in the city, including the Washington Monument, a large obelisk that has become a symbol of the American capital, after six months of closure due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The monument, erected in honor of the first US President George Washington, will be open to the public again on October 1, the National Park service announced on Monday.

Visitors will need to book their ticket online in advance, masks will be mandatory and the capacity of the elevators will be limited to 8 people.

Once at the top, the time spent will be limited to 10 minutes per group.

Inaugurated in 1885, the obelisk is located in the heart of the huge esplanade called "National Mall", which connects Congress to the Lincoln Memorial, not far from the White House.

It rises to 170 meters, making it the tallest building in the city.

In the United States, the country most affected in the world by the coronavirus epidemic, which still records about 40,000 new cases every day, the restrictions vary according to the states, counties or cities.

The American capital, where more than 600 people have died from Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic, was until now largely at a standstill, cinemas remaining for example closed, and restaurants only being able to operate at 50 % of their capacity.

Several museums managed by the famous Smithsonian Institution have however reopened their doors recently, such as the Museum of African-American History, the National Museum of American History or the National Portrait Gallery.

The rules of physical distancing must be respected and the number of visitors is limited.

Another emblematic cultural institution of the city, the Kennedy Center, has partnered with a nightclub to organize a series of evenings on the huge terrace of the place, overlooking the Potomac River.

Tickets for the opening night on October 3 all sold out in less than 15 minutes, the organizing collective said on its Instagram account.

Some of the city's swimming pools are also due to reopen on October 13, Mayor Muriel Bowser said on Monday.

© 2020 AFP