Tirumala Tirupati Balaji temple won’t close down: Temple authorities

The famous Tirumala Tirupati Balaji temple won’t be closed for darshan to the devotees, YV Subba Reddy, chairperson of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) Board, told the press recently.

Reportedly, about 140 staff members including 14 priests of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) have tested positive for COVID-19 ever since the temple reopened its doors for public darshan. However, people can still continue visiting the popular shrine of Tirumala Tirupati Balaji.
Out of the 140 infected people, 70 have recovered from the disease, Mr. Reddy told the press. A majority of infected people are from the Andhra Pradesh Police, who have been deployed for duty in and around the temple.

While senior priests will not be put on duty, both priests and employees have asked for an isolated place to stay. In addition, a separate cooking facility will be set up for making food for the patients. The TTD reopened the temple after the Centre relaxed a few rules in order to unlock the country after more than two months of lockdown, in a phased manner.