Agra Mayor urges for closure of Taj Mahal to prevent Coronavirus outbreak

Agra Mayor Naveen Jain has urged the Central government to order the closure of Taj Mahal till the end of March in the wake of Coronavirus outbreak. Mr Jain has requested for the closure of other monuments, including the Taj Mahal, across the nation to curb further spread of Coronavirus.

He stated that "Foreign tourists in large numbers visit Agra, this increases the chances of spread of coronavirus in the city. I urge the government of India to close all historical monuments in the country including the Taj Mahal till the time situation doesn't come under control."
While it seems like a logical move, the tourism industry stakeholders in the city are miffed about the same. It has to be noted that this is the peak season, October to March, for the travel industry in the city; shutting down the Taj Mahal even on a temporary basis would lead to revenue loss.

Mr Jain also mentioned that the locals are concerned about foreigners visiting the city after it was visited by 14 Italian tourists, who later tested positive for Coronavirus. He also reiterated that if monuments across the country are temporarily shut, more cases of Coronavirus in the country can be prevented.