Hobart's Museum of New and Old Art (MONA) is to close indefinitely, owner David Walsh says.

Key points: MONA founder David Walsh says he's tried to keep the museum open, but has to close it to avoid it becoming a centre for contagion

MONA founder David Walsh says he's tried to keep the museum open, but has to close it to avoid it becoming a centre for contagion Staff were informed of the decision on Monday night

Staff were informed of the decision on Monday night It follows the cancellation of winter festival Dark Mofo

In a statement, Mr Walsh said he had been trying to find a way to keep the museum going, but it will have to close due to "a chance that MONA could become a major centre for contagion".

"Is there a consequence of closing MONA that I can't foresee, but nevertheless does harm? I don't know, but I'm closing Mona," Mr Walsh wrote.

"I'm closing it, without certainty and with some loss of pride, but I'm closing it.

"I hope people care enough to visit when we reopen. I hope that people care enough to understand why we've closed."

Mr Walsh said he had tried to find ways to keep it open, but in the current climate, all options were untenable.

"I thought about conducting tours, or allowing people to register to be invited when the crowd was appropriately underwhelming," he wrote.

"I've been trying to find a way to keep going, an option, an excuse. MONA will lose more money closed than open (oddly, we haven't seen a reduction in visitation) so, unlike Dark Mofo, I'm incentivised to keep it going. And I owe the staff, big time."

It is not known for how long David Walsh intends to close the museum. ( Supplied: MONA/Remi Chauvin )

MONA co-CEO Mark Wilsdon said: "We have made this decision because we believe it is the best way we can fulfil our responsibility to ensure the health and safety of our staff, our visitors, contractors and suppliers and our community as the COVID-19 situation unfolds.

"In these exceptional and unprecedented circumstances, our priority is to do what we can as early as possible in the interests of public health, and that means closing MONA at this stage."

Closure follows Dark Mofo cancellation

Dark Mofo will not go ahead this year due to the threat posed by coronavirus. ( ABC News: Ros Lehman )

MONA is normally closed on a Tuesday.

The museum will not reopen on Wednesday, as the effects of the coronavirus outbreak continue to impact the Tasmanian community and economy.

Staff were briefed on the closure on Monday afternoon.

It is not known for how long Mr Walsh intends to close the attraction, but staff have been told the shutdown will last for the foreseeable future.

It comes after Mr Walsh announced on Wednesday winter festival Dark Mofo would not go ahead this year because of the financial risk posed by coronavirus.

Organisers said if they had been forced to cancel the June festival at the last minute, the financial impact would have run into the millions and likely ended the event permanently.

The event has been running since 2013 and is credited with bringing Hobart to life in the depths of winter.