TIRUPATI: Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has rolled out various measures to check the impact of coronavirus, said TTD Executive Officer Anil Kumar Singhal.
He inaugurated the Coronavirus Awareness and Counselling Centre at Alipiri check-post along with Additional EO AV Dharma Reddy and CVSO Gopinath Jatti. Singhal said the TTD has taken measures to arrest the virus impact in Tirumala as the hill shrine is visited by scores of pilgrims from different places across the country every day.
Singhal said Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and Special Chief Secretary (Health and Medical) KS Jawahar Reddy took stock of the situation with regard to COVID-19 and made several suggestions to the TTD.
Accordingly, coronavirus prevention camps have been set up with thermal scanners at Alipiri check-post, near Padala Mandapam at the Alipiri footpath route and also at Srivari Mettu footpath route. "If any symptoms are identified, the pilgrims will be stopped from entering Tirumala and sent to isolation wards at Ruia hospital," he added.
The EO said the special focus has been laid on sanitation and cleaning is being taken up every two hours on the Tirumala temple premises.
The devotees, who have booked darshan tickets till May 31, can change dates or cancel them. The TTD has also appealed to NRIs and foreigners to postpone their pilgrimage to Tirumala for 28 days from the day they stepped in India.
Meanwhile, pilgrim rush to Tirumala has reduced and devotees with time slots could have easy darshan without waiting in the Vaikuntam queue lines.