All museums in D.C. will close for three weeks starting on December 23, under a new order issued December 18 by Mayor Muriel Bowser. During that time, staff and contractors are allowed to enter museum buildings only to cover minimum business operations.

Some museums plan to keep their doors locked beyond the order’s January 15 end date. The National Museum of Women in the Arts will remain closed through March 2 “out of an abundance of caution for the well-being of our visitors, volunteers and staff,” it announced in a press release.

Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch said in a public forum last week that the Smithsonian museums and National Zoo will reopen no sooner than February. The museums and zoo closed to the public on November 23 as coronavirus cases began to tick up.

“The Institution’s top priority is to protect the health and safety of its visitors and staff,” the institution said in a press release announcing its closure. “We will use this time to reassess, monitor, and explore additional risk-mitigation measures. We are closely monitoring guidance from local governments, public health officials and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”

The closure impacted seven Smithsonian museums that had reopened to the public: The National Portrait Gallery, the Renwick Gallery, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the National Museum of the American Indian, the National Museum of American History, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.

The Smithsonian initially closed all its museums and the National Zoo indefinitely when the pandemic hit the District in March, but began reopening facilities in July.

The institution has laid off more than 230 employees from its shops, theaters, and concessions, due to lost revenue as the pandemic continued to limit its operations, the Washington Post reported in October. Spokesperson Linda St. Thomas told the newspaper that the Smithsonian had lost $49 million between March and September.

In an email, Smithsonian spokesperson Alexandria Fairchild told DCist that there are “currently no plans” to lay off or cut staff.

The National Gallery of Art closed temporarily temporarily on November 21 “out of an abundance of caution” in response to the rising cases. The closure affected the West Building and the Sculpture Garden, the only parts of the museum that had reopened.

The Glenstone museum in Potomac, Maryland closed temporarily on November 25 and cancelled all scheduled visits through the end of December. January visits are still scheduled but “may be canceled at a later date,” according to a press release. Ford’s Theatre and its museum also closed until further notice on November 23.

The announcements began to come in as COVID-19 cases surged across the region before the Thanksgiving holiday. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s new order says the number of COVID-19 patients in D.C. hospitals doubled between mid-November and mid-December.

This story has been updated to include new information about closures and Mayor Muriel Bowser’s order.