The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum will remain closed for at least another month. The museum, which had hoped to open on July 1, made the announcement earlier today that they would delay opening, at least through July, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum places a premium on health and safety. With the recent increase of COVID-19 cases in Nashville and throughout the country, we determined it was necessary to extend our temporary closure to protect the health of our staff and guests,” Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame, said in a statement posted on the museum’s website. “We look forward to welcoming guests and having them explore our galleries once again. When we reopen, we want to make sure it is in the safest environment possible.”

The Country Music Hall of Fame also shared the news on social media, saying they would wait until it seemed safe for both employees and guests to reopen.

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s galleries will remain closed to the public through Friday, July 31, 2020. We will continue to monitor developments and rely on guidance from public health officials to inform future decisions. pic.twitter.com/dXoxFh3jAK

— Country Music HOF (@countrymusichof) June 29, 2020

“The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s galleries will remain closed to the public through Friday, July 31, 2020,” the statement read. “We will continue to monitor developments and rely on guidance from public health officials to inform future decisions.”

The Country Music Hall of Fame was one of the very first businesses to close, as the coronavirus pandemic hit Nashville, shutting their doors even before Governor Bill Lee manded the closure of all downtown businesses.

“The health and safety of our guests and staff is our top priority,” Kyle said at the time. “While there have not been any confirmed cases of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) connected to the museum at this time, we must do all that we can to help ensure a safe and healthy environment for our visitors, employees and community, which at this time calls for us to close temporarily.”

The news is especially devastating for the CMHOF, which was forced to lay off 73 employees, and furlough 101.

“We were forced to make this difficult decision by a challenging business environment unprecedented in the museum’s history,” Kyle said of the decision. “Since closing March 13, the museum has lost millions of dollars in budgeted revenue. Our economic setbacks, coupled with the uncertainties of the future related to the pandemic, make it necessary to take these measures now to protect the institution and ensure its future.”

Both the Ryman and the Grand Ole Opry have reopened for backstage tours. The Opry has yet to determine when they will allow a live audience in for their weekly Saturday night shows, but says it will not be until August at the earliest.

“To align with Metro Nashville health and safety guidelines amid current COVID-19 concerns, the Grand Ole Opry has canceled performances that include a live audience through August 7,” a statement reads at Opry.com, Tickets for shows past August 7 are currently being sold, although there is no guarantee a live audience will be in attendance for those shows.

Although the Country Music Hall of Fame remains closed, there are several experiences and shows that can be found via the museum’s website and social media channels.