THE JORVIK Viking Centre reopened its doors to the public today after closure due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The centre reopened earlier today, with new measures in place to ensure public safety when visiting.

They have restricted the number of people in JORVIK at any given time, including staff, to make sure that each group can remain at least two metres from the next group at all times.

To help manage this, they have extended opening hours and all visitors are encouraged to pre-book their tickets for a given timeslot on the website or by calling 01904 615505.

They are requesting that visitors don't bring large bags, for security reasons and to help with social distancing.

There can only be one wheel chair user in the attraction at a time due to safety reasons.

Visitors should arrive on time for their slot to reduce queueing time. There will be two queues, for those who have pre-booked and who have not.

The JORVIK Viking Centre staff will be on hand to provide assistance and answer any questions.

Hand-gel dispensers are available throughout JORVIK and staff members who will be closer to visitors will be wearing PPE.

The centre has a full hygiene policy that will be strictly followed by all staff to ensure the highest standards of cleanliness throughout the attraction. The entire attraction underwent deep-cleaning and a ‘fogging’ procedure before re-opening, which involves a water-based spray that sanitises all surfaces.

If you have pre-booked your tickets, you will likely be able to immediately start your JORVIK experience. If you need to interact with the staff member on the admissions desk, they will call you forward. There is a high plastic screen between you and the staff member, with a small gap at the bottom through which items can be passed.

The JORVIK ride experience is open and the handrails, touch screens and seats of these capsules are cleaned between every use by our team.

The gift shop is also open but visitor numbers will be restricted.

Sarah Maltby, director of attractions for the JORVIK Group, said: "Our first day has gone extremely well.  We had a few slots still available this afternoon which have gradually filled up with people prebooking from their phones or our outdoor admissions pod.

"We’ve even squeezed in some additional slots without compromising safety, as the team has observed how visitors flow and spotted opportunities for extra capacity, so in terms of visitor numbers, we’ve actually welcomed slightly more than expected.

"The team has coped with the new structure and safety procedures incredibly well, and this has shown in the positive feedback we’ve had from visitors today."

Further information can be found here.