Alcatraz reopening for tours

Alcatraz Island will reopen Monday after being closed for most of the past year.

The announcement came less than a week after San Francisco moved into the state’s red tier of coronavirus restrictions and as museums, movie theaters and indoor dining reopened. Bringing back access to Alcatraz, which gets about 1.4 million visitors in a typical year, could be a boost for the city’s tourism economy, which has taken a major hit since the start of the pandemic.

Alcatraz is managed by the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which oversees the Marin Headlands, part of the Presidio and other nearby parklands. It was closed March 15, 2020, partially reopened in August, then shut down again in December when the state’s regional COVID blueprint took effect.

People eager to tour the prison island should take note of new rules and protocols.

Reservations need to be made online in advance via Alcatraz Cruises, the island’s official concessionaire. Ferries to the island will operate at reduced capacity and will not have snacks or drinks on sale — food consumption is prohibited even on the island.

Guided “interpretive tours and ranger talks will resume at (a) later date,” according to the GGNRA. However, rangers will be on duty, and the cell house is open for selfguided audio tours.

Face masks are required on all national park lands — Alcatraz included — “where physical distancing cannot be maintained,” according to a Tuesday statement from the GGNRA.

“We expect everyone to follow CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) guidance, wear a mask, and give each other space to safely enjoy their experience at this iconic site,” GGNRA General Superintendent Laura Joss said in the statement.