Updated on March 17, 2020 to note the Capitol is closed to the public.

AUSTIN — State officials are closing public access to the Texas Capitol beginning Wednesday in an effort to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Elected officials and their staff will still have access to the building, as will state agency personnel with proper IDs, state officials said in a statement Tuesday.

The move follows a directive on Sunday to cancel public events and guided tours at the Capitol.

Beginning Wednesday, officials will close public access to the Capitol, the Capitol Visitors Center, the Texas State Cemetery and the Capitol Visitors Parking Garage. The Bullock Texas State History Museum is also closed to the public.

Officials did not say when the Capitol will be reoponed.

“The agency will continue to monitor public health officials’ protocols for containing community transmission of the COVID-19 virus and respond accordingly,” a statement from the board said. “We regret any inconvenience this temporary disruption may cause.”

Chris Currens, director of special projects for the State Preservation Board, said Sunday that the last time these measures were taken was after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

He said that about 40,000 schoolchildren had been expected to visit the Capitol over the next six weeks but that some groups already had started pulling out before the board’s announcement.

“Given the risk that epidemiologists say are going to start increasing, that meant we have to get ahead of the curve, as have many others,” Currens said.