BILBAO, Spain — Two dozen visitors queued to get their temperatures taken at the entrance to Bilbao’s Guggenheim Museum on Monday as it became the first of Spain’s major cultural centers to reopen its doors after a long lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. Attendance appeared modest on the grand opening day of the Frank Gehry-designed Guggenheim. Visitors must wear masks, while capacity has been reduced by half and hand-sanitizing stations have been dotted at strategic points around the cavernous structure. Along with the rest of the country’s museums and galleries it has been closed since a state of emergency was declared in mid-March. But as the Basque Country progresses to the third stage of a four-step easing plan, the center has reopened, albeit with several limitations. Madrid’s landmark museums El Prado, the Thyssen and the Reina Sofia are set to reopen on Saturday. — Reuters
