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| With Museums Empty, Security Experts Hope Thieves Stay Home, Too | With Museums Empty, Security Experts Hope Thieves Stay Home, Too |
| (8 days later) | |
| The location of where they work is a secret they keep, even from old friends. | The location of where they work is a secret they keep, even from old friends. |
| The artisans who operate out of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum’s storage facility on the West Side of Manhattan have long understood that it is part of their job to keep quiet about their place of employment, an off-site warehouse filled with much of the world’s finest art. | The artisans who operate out of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum’s storage facility on the West Side of Manhattan have long understood that it is part of their job to keep quiet about their place of employment, an off-site warehouse filled with much of the world’s finest art. |
| So now, even as they shelter at home and worry about possible furloughs or layoffs by a museum struggling without admission revenue, the workers who help maintain the collection and prepare it for display say they understand the commitment they have made. | So now, even as they shelter at home and worry about possible furloughs or layoffs by a museum struggling without admission revenue, the workers who help maintain the collection and prepare it for display say they understand the commitment they have made. |
| “They feel a moral responsibility to protect this work,” said Andres Puerta of Local 30 of the International Union of Operating Engineers, which represents those workers. “They know the heavy weight of that responsibility.” | “They feel a moral responsibility to protect this work,” said Andres Puerta of Local 30 of the International Union of Operating Engineers, which represents those workers. “They know the heavy weight of that responsibility.” |
| Their concerns are mirrored across the quiet streets of a shuttered world, as museums work to figure out how to contend with the possibility of enhanced security risks. Alarm systems and uniformed guards are still in place, of course, and the sale of museum-famous stolen art has never been easy. | Their concerns are mirrored across the quiet streets of a shuttered world, as museums work to figure out how to contend with the possibility of enhanced security risks. Alarm systems and uniformed guards are still in place, of course, and the sale of museum-famous stolen art has never been easy. |
| But the pandemic has meant the closure of institutions and reductions in staffing. Cavernous floors are now largely empty throughout the day, not just at night. Police departments in many places are stretched thin by illness. Social distancing has meant that the many people who might once have witnessed a burglary are now tucked in at home. | But the pandemic has meant the closure of institutions and reductions in staffing. Cavernous floors are now largely empty throughout the day, not just at night. Police departments in many places are stretched thin by illness. Social distancing has meant that the many people who might once have witnessed a burglary are now tucked in at home. |
| “The risk is serious,” said Steve Keller, a museum security consultant who has worked with the National Gallery of Art, the Smithsonian Institution and others. “Thieves might think the museums are in a weakened condition and that increases the threat.” | “The risk is serious,” said Steve Keller, a museum security consultant who has worked with the National Gallery of Art, the Smithsonian Institution and others. “Thieves might think the museums are in a weakened condition and that increases the threat.” |
| Last week burglars broke into a small museum in the Netherlands that had closed because of the coronavirus and absconded with an early van Gogh painting, “The Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring.” Police responding to the museum’s alarm found a shattered glass door and a bare spot on the wall where the painting had been. | Last week burglars broke into a small museum in the Netherlands that had closed because of the coronavirus and absconded with an early van Gogh painting, “The Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring.” Police responding to the museum’s alarm found a shattered glass door and a bare spot on the wall where the painting had been. |
| Two weeks earlier, a gallery at the University of Oxford, also closed by the virus, lost three 16th- and 17th-century paintings, including “A Soldier on Horseback” by the Flemish artist Anthony van Dyck, to thieves. | Two weeks earlier, a gallery at the University of Oxford, also closed by the virus, lost three 16th- and 17th-century paintings, including “A Soldier on Horseback” by the Flemish artist Anthony van Dyck, to thieves. |
| Museums, understandably, do not discuss their security measures or concerns, except to say that standard safeguards are in place. | Museums, understandably, do not discuss their security measures or concerns, except to say that standard safeguards are in place. |
| “The museum’s buildings are as secure under current circumstances as they ever are,” said a spokeswoman for the Houston Museum of Fine Arts, which has guards on duty 24 hours a day. | “The museum’s buildings are as secure under current circumstances as they ever are,” said a spokeswoman for the Houston Museum of Fine Arts, which has guards on duty 24 hours a day. |
| A spokesman for the Metropolitan Museum of Art said simply: “Sorry but we just don’t talk about security procedures.” | A spokesman for the Metropolitan Museum of Art said simply: “Sorry but we just don’t talk about security procedures.” |
| Mr. Keller and Stevan Layne, the founding director of the International Foundation for Cultural Property Protection and a former director of security at the Denver Art Museum, said that museums are not necessarily more vulnerable now. Still, they recommended that institutions make sure alarm systems are functioning properly and that they more closely restrict entry to museum buildings. | Mr. Keller and Stevan Layne, the founding director of the International Foundation for Cultural Property Protection and a former director of security at the Denver Art Museum, said that museums are not necessarily more vulnerable now. Still, they recommended that institutions make sure alarm systems are functioning properly and that they more closely restrict entry to museum buildings. |
| “Just because a curator left a pair of glasses on a desk, that is not an emergency,” said Mr. Keller. | “Just because a curator left a pair of glasses on a desk, that is not an emergency,” said Mr. Keller. |
| In an email message, a spokeswoman for the Guggenheim cited some of the same precautions. | In an email message, a spokeswoman for the Guggenheim cited some of the same precautions. |
| “The Guggenheim Museum continues to maintain 24-hour security operations with increased monitoring of all facilities and offices,” wrote the spokeswoman, Sarah Eaton. “During this time of closure, no unauthorized or unexpected guests or personnel are being permitted entry into the museum or off-site locations until further notice.” | “The Guggenheim Museum continues to maintain 24-hour security operations with increased monitoring of all facilities and offices,” wrote the spokeswoman, Sarah Eaton. “During this time of closure, no unauthorized or unexpected guests or personnel are being permitted entry into the museum or off-site locations until further notice.” |
| The New York Police Department, which helps to protect the Guggenheim and other museums, has been hit hard by illness. As of Monday, for instance, nearly 7,000 of its uniformed members were on sick report, which accounts for just over 19 percent of the department’s uniformed work force. In addition, officers have been making thousands of trips a day to ensure that bars and restaurants are closed and that people follow proper social distancing practices at supermarkets and in public places. | The New York Police Department, which helps to protect the Guggenheim and other museums, has been hit hard by illness. As of Monday, for instance, nearly 7,000 of its uniformed members were on sick report, which accounts for just over 19 percent of the department’s uniformed work force. In addition, officers have been making thousands of trips a day to ensure that bars and restaurants are closed and that people follow proper social distancing practices at supermarkets and in public places. |
| Crime overall was down in New York City during the second half of March compared with the same period last year. But burglaries were up by nearly 17 percent. | Crime overall was down in New York City during the second half of March compared with the same period last year. But burglaries were up by nearly 17 percent. |
| A police spokeswoman, Sgt. Jessica McRorie, said in an email message that “the NYPD has adapted swiftly and with success” to the challenges brought on by the virus. | A police spokeswoman, Sgt. Jessica McRorie, said in an email message that “the NYPD has adapted swiftly and with success” to the challenges brought on by the virus. |
| Asked whether high-profile targets like museums were being given special attention, Sergeant McRorie wrote: “The commanding officer of a precinct decides if additional patrols will be conducted at a location and that decision is based on conditions specific to the precinct and available resources.” | Asked whether high-profile targets like museums were being given special attention, Sergeant McRorie wrote: “The commanding officer of a precinct decides if additional patrols will be conducted at a location and that decision is based on conditions specific to the precinct and available resources.” |
| For the duration of the pandemic, Mr. Keller said, museums should assume that they would be in permanent “night mode,” relying on security measures that are generally in place when institutions close for the evening. | For the duration of the pandemic, Mr. Keller said, museums should assume that they would be in permanent “night mode,” relying on security measures that are generally in place when institutions close for the evening. |
| Updated June 30, 2020 | |
| Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. | |
| Scientists around the country have tried to identify everyday materials that do a good job of filtering microscopic particles. In recent tests, HEPA furnace filters scored high, as did vacuum cleaner bags, fabric similar to flannel pajamas and those of 600-count pillowcases. Other materials tested included layered coffee filters and scarves and bandannas. These scored lower, but still captured a small percentage of particles. | Scientists around the country have tried to identify everyday materials that do a good job of filtering microscopic particles. In recent tests, HEPA furnace filters scored high, as did vacuum cleaner bags, fabric similar to flannel pajamas and those of 600-count pillowcases. Other materials tested included layered coffee filters and scarves and bandannas. These scored lower, but still captured a small percentage of particles. |
| A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico. | A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico. |
| The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth. | The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth. |
| The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave. | The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave. |
| So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. | So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. |
| Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. | Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. |
| A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. | A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. |
| The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. | The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. |
| If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) | If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) |
| If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. | If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. |
| He said that some systems, like alarms, cameras and motion detectors, which if properly configured can show whether a person might be moving from gallery to gallery, could still be an effective counter to burglars, especially if security guards and other essential personnel like building engineers are provided with radios so any potential incursion can immediately be investigated. | He said that some systems, like alarms, cameras and motion detectors, which if properly configured can show whether a person might be moving from gallery to gallery, could still be an effective counter to burglars, especially if security guards and other essential personnel like building engineers are provided with radios so any potential incursion can immediately be investigated. |
| And while museum galleries containing certain artworks, like those on paper, could suffer from prolonged exposure to light, Mr. Keller said he had suggested that clients permanently turn on lights in other galleries so that any activity there could be seen, day or night, by guards watching monitors. | And while museum galleries containing certain artworks, like those on paper, could suffer from prolonged exposure to light, Mr. Keller said he had suggested that clients permanently turn on lights in other galleries so that any activity there could be seen, day or night, by guards watching monitors. |
| Insurance levels would probably remain the same, he said, unless a museum was displaying works that were on loan from another institution. In that case, Mr. Keller said, the borrowing museum might adjust insurance to make sure the items on loan were covered. | Insurance levels would probably remain the same, he said, unless a museum was displaying works that were on loan from another institution. In that case, Mr. Keller said, the borrowing museum might adjust insurance to make sure the items on loan were covered. |
| All museums operate differently, but they typically carry insurance that would provide coverage in the event of theft, fires and floods. Insurance for a permanent collection may be written on a blanket basis, instead of tied to a list of specific works. And some experts advise carrying insurance that will cover an amount equal to the part of a collection that may be lost or destroyed at any one time and making sure that losses are payable based on market value at the time of a loss. | All museums operate differently, but they typically carry insurance that would provide coverage in the event of theft, fires and floods. Insurance for a permanent collection may be written on a blanket basis, instead of tied to a list of specific works. And some experts advise carrying insurance that will cover an amount equal to the part of a collection that may be lost or destroyed at any one time and making sure that losses are payable based on market value at the time of a loss. |
| Beyond that, Mr. Keller said, he had advised museums to spread its most experienced security people out among shifts and make sure that the same teams of guards always worked together to lessen the chance that a single guard falling ill could infect an entire security force. | Beyond that, Mr. Keller said, he had advised museums to spread its most experienced security people out among shifts and make sure that the same teams of guards always worked together to lessen the chance that a single guard falling ill could infect an entire security force. |
| At least one museum, he said, had set up cots and provided food so that a group of guards could essentially live inside the institution, isolated from anyone who may have contracted the coronavirus and providing a round-the-clock presence. | At least one museum, he said, had set up cots and provided food so that a group of guards could essentially live inside the institution, isolated from anyone who may have contracted the coronavirus and providing a round-the-clock presence. |
| But Mr. Keller said that the longer the pandemic went on, the more that security guards would have to compensate for the absence of regular museum workers whose eyes and ears can help protect institutions from more mundane problems — like leaky pipes that can damage artworks, or a desk lamp left on too close to a stack of paper that could start a fire. | But Mr. Keller said that the longer the pandemic went on, the more that security guards would have to compensate for the absence of regular museum workers whose eyes and ears can help protect institutions from more mundane problems — like leaky pipes that can damage artworks, or a desk lamp left on too close to a stack of paper that could start a fire. |
| “The guards are going to have to be a little more attentive to environmental conditions around the building, the smell of smoke or the sound of water dripping,” he said. “Those are threats to the collection just as much as a thief is.” | “The guards are going to have to be a little more attentive to environmental conditions around the building, the smell of smoke or the sound of water dripping,” he said. “Those are threats to the collection just as much as a thief is.” |