Metro will operate extra trains and keep the system open late on July Fourth as the White House hosts a fireworks show despite concerns about the spread of the coronavirus.
More frequent service on all Metrorail lines will start at 4 p.m. on July 4 to “accommodate the ‘Salute to America’ event on the National Mall,” Metro announced Friday. The system will run trains until all customers have been accommodated.
Metro is expecting fewer visitors to the National Mall than last year but warned that social distancing may not be possible at all times. They urged riders to consider other means of transportation.
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump will host the event from the White House's South Lawn and the Ellipse. The president will deliver remarks and a ceremony will include music, military demonstrations and flyovers. The evening will culminate with a “spectacular fireworks display over the National Mall,” a statement from the White House said.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser asked residents to stay home and avoid crowds as moderate transmission of the virus continues.
“We have largely flattened the curve but we have not eradicated the virus,” she said.
