Taj Mahal To Reopen From July 6; Only 5,000 Visitors Split Into Two Groups Allowed In A Day

People are requested not to touch its glistening marble surfaces while roaming around the Taj Mahal and its peripherals.

New Delhi: After a three-month COVID-19 shutdown, India’s 17th-century monument Taj Mahal will open for tourists from Monday, July 6. In a statement issued on Sunday, the federal tourism ministry said that all centrally protected monuments and sites shall be bound by protocols like sanitization, social distancing & other health protocols. According to the reports, only 5,000 tourists, split into two groups will be allowed in a day. The tourists will have to wear masks, sanitize hands and maintain social distancing norms in order to visit Taj built in the northern city of Agra by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan for his wife, in a 22-year effort. People are requested not to touch its glistening marble surfaces while roaming around the Taj Mahal and its peripherals. All the monuments, museums, and other tourist places were shut when Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a nationwide lockdown in the country from March 25 in order to contain the spread of Coronavirus infection. Meanwhile, India recorded the worst-ever rise in Coronavirus cases on Sunday, pushing its overall tally nearer to 7 lakh-mark. For the first time in India, nearly 25,000 fresh cases have been reported in 24 hours. 613 new deaths have been reported in single day. As per the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, the highest ever single-day spike of 24,850 new COVID-19 cases were reported from parts of India. The total positive cases now stand at 6,73,165 including 2,44,814 active cases, 4,09,083 cured/discharged/migrated patients. The death toll has jumped to 19,268. The total number of samples tested up to July 4 is 97,89,066 of which 2,48,934 samples were tested yesterday, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has said.