More than 700 cases of COVID-19 at Tirumala Temple in Andhra Pradesh

One of the world’s largest and
wealthiest Hindu temple, the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple, faces no escape from
the novel coronavirus. According to reports by Reuters, two of its employees
and one of the former employees died of COVID-19 since June 11. In total, the
virus had affected 743 temple workers. However, there is no confirmation on how many
daily visitors have been contracted with the virus.

“We are providing the best medication to
those infected. We are taking utmost precaution, social distancing norms are
followed, devotees and others are wearing masks,” the chairman of the temple’s
trust organisation, Y V Subba Reddy told Reuters.

The trust employs about 22,500 staffs, including 300
priests and manages 10 temples including the main temple of Venkateswara where
36 priests are working.

According to federal health data released on Monday,
India has recorded a near-record of 62,064 new cases of the virus in the past
24 hours, bringing its total number of cases to over 2.2 million.

Following a tight lock down imposed on 25 March, India
began a phased reopening. In June, temples and other places of worship were
allowed to open.