TIRUPATI: Following a TTD employee working at Sri Govindaraja Swamy Temple in Tirupati testing positive for Covid-19, the TTD has ordered closure of the shrine with immediate effect. Official said that the premises would be disinfected on Friday and Saturday, before the temple is reopened on Sunday. However, kainkaryams will take place in the temple in ekantam.
According to TTD officials, the sanitary inspector went to the TTD Central Hospital on Wednesday as he was sick, where the doctors collected his swab samples for Covid-19 tests. He tested positive and the same was disclosed on Friday.
He was immediately admitted to a Covid-19 hospital and two of his family members, along with 10 TTD employees who came in contact with him, were sent to quarantine centres. Their samples were collected and sent for testing. The Old Huzur office and PH store will also remain closed as the temple staffer had gone there as part of his duty.
Meanwhile, the TTD has appealed to the devotees who had booked free tokens, to report at Tirumala only during the allotted time so as to avoid congestion. In a statement, it clarified that the devotees will be allowed for darshan only during the allotted time. The TTD said that at present, the Tirumala temple was receiving pilgrims in limited numbers and only 6,000 devotees were being allowed per day.