Yosemite National Park closes to visitors amid COVID-19 concerns

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Yosemite National Park is closed to visitors until further notice in an attempt to avoid further spread of COVID-19.

Park officials made the announcement on Friday afternoon, saying it came at the request of their local health department. The order went into effect at 3:00 p.m.

At this time, it's unclear if other parks in the National Park Service will be following Yosemite's lead.

Park officials added the following:

"The health and safety of our visitors, employees, volunteers, and partners at Yosemite National Park is our number one priority. The National Park Service (NPS) is working with the federal, state, and local authorities to closely monitor the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) situation. We will notify the public when we resume full operations and provide updates on our website and social media channels."

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