Coronavirus: Tirupati Balaji temple to be shut for devotees;

The famous hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara in Tirumala near Tirupati and all other major temples will be out of bounds for devotees while malls and cinema halls would be closed down in Andhra Pradesh till March 31 as part of measures to check spread of coronavirus, the state government announced on Thursday. The restrictions would come into force from Friday, Deputy Chief Minister for Medical and Health A K K Srinivas (Nani) said briefing reporters here after a high-level meeting on COVID-19, chaired by Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy.

The daily rituals in all these temples will, however, be performed by the priests. Only the devotees will not be allowed, he said. Major places of worship of other religions would also be closed, the Deputy Chief Minister said.

The announcement came on the day when the state reported its second positive case of coronavirus..

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