MONTREAL -- The Montreal Museum of Fine arts is closing its doors in response to the spread of COVID-19.

The closure starts Saturday, March 14 and should last until March 30, the museum wrote Friday in a press release.

"This means that the lectures, movie screenings, guided visits, and activities as part of Family Weekends, Thursdays at the Museum, École des beaux-arts, Art Hive, and WKSHP 15-20 will be cancelled for the next two weeks, as will educational visits, social and community programs, and art therapy activities," the statement reads.

"The MMFA's Boutique and Bookstore and Beaux-Arts Restaurant and Bistro are also closed to the public. Note that scheduled concerts and events at Bourgie Hall have been cancelled until April 11, 2020 inclusively."

Montreal has closed its public spaces, including community centres, arenas and pools, to prevent the spread of the virus. Quebec Premier Francois Legault on Thursday issued a directive banning large gatherings. Schools have since been cancelled for two weeks.