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via Bangkok Post, 06 May 2020: Luang Prabang is a Unesco World Heritage Site and has not been immune to the effect of Covid-19.
Like many other cultural sites worldwide, it is experiencing a novel test of that model as a result of the pandemic. “At this moment, 89% of all World Heritage properties are totally or partially closed. Museums and other cultural institutions are losing millions in revenue each day,” said Ernesto Ottone R, Unesco Assistant Director-General for Culture. “Artists all around the world are unable to make ends meet. Unesco is mobilising the international community to increase access to culture and heritage online in order to support the resilience of artists and to bring governments together to find policy solutions.”
The authorities of the Luang Prabang World Heritage office are working from home with staff rotating 24 hours a day to monitor the site for emergencies such as fires and breaches of the river banks. For cultural sites worldwide, human-induced risks such as vandalism and theft are also of concern.
