The line of around 600 people outside the Louvre on Wednesday was a swirl of rumour, with people wondering if the world’s most-visited museum would open after a three-day closure. Since Sunday, the Louvre’s staff had been refusing to work, fearful they might catch the coronavirus from someone among the museum’s more than 30,000 daily visitors.

“Nobody says anything,” said Satu Fontanili, 34, from Finland, who was in line with her husband and toddler. “Everything looks normal, but the doors remain closed.”

Around midday, the museum’s doors opened without fanfare, and the crowd started shuffling in. Louvre employees voted on Sunday to stop work over safety fears, a move allowed under French law.

The museum stayed closed on Monday, and does not open on Tuesdays. The museum’s management, its doctor and staff representatives met on Tuesday to consider measures to protect workers from the virus.