The district administration has announced a ban on Girivalam in Tiruvannamalai on September 20 even as 22 persons tested positive for COVID-19 in the district on Friday, taking the total number of cases to 53,876.
Devotees will not be allowed to visit the temple between 5.20 a.m on Monday and 5.51 a.m on Tuesday. This was announced by District Collector B. Murugesh on Friday.
Every full moon day, devotees and tourists from various parts of the State and from the neighbouring Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala walk 14 km to perform perambulation of the hill. Anticipating a large gathering on September 20, which is a full moon day, the district administration decided to keep the temple shut. The Collector has appealed to the devotees and the general public not to visit the temple on September 20 and 21 in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.
24 cases in Vellore
The COVID-19 tally in Vellore district rose to 49,146 on Friday with 24 persons testing positive.
While 47,816 have been discharged, the active cases in the district stands at 212. The district’s death toll is 1,118.
In Ranipet district, 12 persons tested positive, taking the tally to 42,828.
In Tirupattur district, 11 new cases were reported on Friday and the total number of positive cases stood at 28,755.