The New York Stock Exchange will partially reopen its trading floor on 26 May, with new safety measures introduced, according to NYSE President Stacey Cunningham.
"We opted to close our floor temporarily in the early days of the pandemic to help slow the spread of disease. Two months later, we've learned a lot and are in a position to reopen the floor with vital new safety measures, as we begin working together to restart the US economy", Cunnigham wrote in a guest column in the Wall Street Journal on Thursday.
According to Cunningham, the contingent of floor brokers will be much smaller than many have been accustomed to seeing on television. They will be required to wear face protection masks ("a staple of post-lockdown life") and comply with strict social distancing rules.
The NYSE also said in a statement that its reopening plan was "designed to accommodate health-focused considerations".
"Upon returning, NYSE American Options trading floor personnel will be required to follow enhanced safety protocols, which include, but are not limited to, compliance with the public health orders of the City and State of New York", it said.
The decision to reopen the trading floor comes as New York, which became the epicentre of the novel coronavirus outbreak in the United States, began seeing fewer infections and deaths from the COVID-19 disease over the past several weeks.
The US is leading the global coronavirus tally, both in terms of the number of cases and fatalities. As of Thursday, the nation has recorded over 1.41 million cases, including 85,581 deaths. New York City only has registered more than 27,600 lethal cases so far.
