Chester Zoo closes doors for ‘foreseeable future’

Chester Zoo has closed to the public due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. 

The zoo closed the gates of the attraction of Saturday ‘for the foreseeable future.’ 

Conservationists will continue to ensure that the animals enjoy the exact same levels of care.

Chester Zoo published a statement on its website, it says: “With the continued worldwide concerns associated with coronavirus, the zoo is closely following the very latest Government and World Health Organisation (WHO) advice.

As a world-class organisation we are, of course, taking every precaution for both staff and animals under our care.

Our expert teams have always had a strict set of biosecurity measures in place given that we’re home to so many rare and precious species.

Our conservationists will continue to ensure that the animals enjoy the exact same levels of care and attention they receive all year round.

Staff with underlying health conditions as well as those who are pregnant or over the age of 70 have been asked to stay home for the foreseeable future and take preventative measures as recommended by the Government and WHO.”

With regards to memberships, the zoo said: “We would like to offer you an additional month of membership free of charge.

If we are asked to remain closed for more than a month then we’ll review this again and will be in touch.

You don’t need to contact us to receive this additional month of membership as we’ll change your end date automatically.

If your membership was due to automatically renew by direct debit in March, we will renew this as planned and then extend your membership expiry date by 1 month.”

If you have already booked tickets for admission, the zoo says: “We are more than happy to exchange your admission ticket for an open dated ticket that will remain valid until the end of the year.

There will be no additional charge for this ticket upgrade and you don’t need to contact us to make this change, we will do this automatically for you. We are really looking forward to welcoming you back when things get back to normal.”