Carter Presidential Library temporarily closed due to COVID-19 case surge
The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta.
ATLANTA - The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum will be closed temporarily due to an increase in COVID-19 cases in Fulton County, the National Archives and Records Administration advised.
The Carter Museum, located in Atlanta is set to close effective Monday, August 16, 2021.
"It is with great disappointment that I am ordering the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum closed until public health conditions improve," said Archivist of the United States David S. Ferriero.
In Fulton County, the seven-day average for new COVID-19 cases and the positivity rate both exceed the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) definition of "high transmission," which is more than 99 new cases per 100,000 and a positivity rate of more than 9.9 percent.
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Georgia’s case count has continued to rise, with the seven-day rolling average climbing above 6,000 on Friday, the worst since Feb. 1. The number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals was also rising rapidly, exceeding 4,200 on Friday even as many hospital executives have warned they don’t have enough beds and staff.
More than 87% of the state’s ICU beds were in use. More than 40 hospitals statewide were turning away all patients, emergency patients or intensive care patients.
"I am taking this action out of concern for the health of the staff and the visiting public," Ferriero said.
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After closing due to the pandemic in March 2020, the Carter Museum reopened to guests on a limited basis on July 6, 2021.
The National Archives says it will reopen the Carter Museum as soon as the public health conditions allow.
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