President John F. Kennedy's grave at Arlington National Cemetery in 2017. Beginning on October 3, 2020, visitors will be allowed at the site for the first time since the start of the pandemic. (Stars and Stripes)
Stars and Stripes is making stories on the coronavirus pandemic available free of charge. See other free reports here. Sign up for our daily coronavirus newsletter here. Please support our journalism with a subscription.
WASHINGTON — The public can visit former President John F. Kennedy’s gravesite at Arlington National Cemetery on Saturday for the first time since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.
The cemetery closed in March in response to the pandemic. For months, only funeral attendees and family pass holders were allowed to enter Arlington. In September, most of the cemetery reopened to the public.
Yet other points of interest at the cemetery remain closed, including the Women in Military Service for America Memorial, the amphitheater, the Tomb of The Unknown Soldier and exhibits inside the welcome center.
Officials said they have been monitoring the pandemic as they have slowly opened the entire cemetery. There is no timeline for when the rest of the points of interest will reopen.
“We are conducting internal assessments for the care and protection of our visitors,” cemetery Superintendent Charles “Ray” Alexander Jr. said in September. “We will evaluate our standard operating procedures and efficiencies to ensure the outstanding visitor experience and high standards people expect when coming to the cemetery.”
The Kennedy site includes the graves of the 35th president and two of his brothers, Sens. Robert F. Kennedy and Edward M. Kennedy.
There is also a memorial marker for President Kennedy’s eldest brother Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis is also buried next to President Kennedy.
beynon.steven@stripes.com Twitter: @StevenBeynon
