Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton on Wednesday asked the National Park Service to close the Washington Monument, following a number of reported coronavirus cases among employees who work on the National Mall and an overall spike in cases across the region.

In a letter to acting NPS director Margaret Everson, Norton expressed concern for the workers. “I understand that there have been at least four cases of COVID-19 and one hospitalization among NPS employees who work on the National Mall,” she wrote.

“I also understand that NPS has not closed indoor properties such as the Washington Monument and that visitors are not uniformly following mask and social-distancing guidelines while on federal property, including inside the Washington Monument’s elevator,” she continued. “These behaviors put NPS employees and the public at significant risk.”

A spokesperson for NPS didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday. But in her letter, Norton also called on NPS to close “visitor centers and any other indoor properties in the National Capital Region again until this wave of the virus has subsided.” She urged the agency to implement stricter protocols for its workers, including moving all non-emergency employees to telework or weather- and safety-leave.

Norton asked Everson, the acting NPS director, to provide a written response to her by Dec. 15.

After a six-month closure during the pandemic, the Washington Monument reopened in October with limited capacity and new safety protocols in place, such as mask requirements.

The monument has been closed to visitors for various stretches throughout the past decade. An earthquake in 2011 caused cracks in some of its stone, with repairs costing $15 million over two years. When it reopened, the elevator still saw  troubles, leading to several shutdowns and evacuations.

In 2016, the monument closed so the elevator could be replaced and security facilities added at the entrance. It reopened in September 2019, but was shut down again by the health crisis.