Taj Mahal, other monuments to remain closed as Agra sees spike in cases

Travel & Food

In the view of current COVID-19 situation in Agra, historical monuments like Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Akbar Tomb, and others to remain closed until further orders as they fall in buffer zone areas, according to District Magistrate of Agra, Prabhu N Singh. Monuments such as the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Akbar Tomb, and others will remain shut until further notice. These monuments fall under buffer zone areas of COVID-19. These monuments have been closed for months now and that has affected the revenue that the state government generates from tourism.

A previous issue by the ministry on July 2 said that the monuments in Agra including the Taj Mahal could be opened for tourists from July 6. A sudden rise in coronavirus cases has led to this decision of keeping the monuments closed for the public.  The Culture Ministry had allowed around 820 religious monuments to open in the month of June.

The District Magistrate said that 55 new cases reported in the past four days and there are 71 containment zones. He added that there is a threat of coronavirus spread as tourists will come to these places if they are opened.
Earlier, Union Minister of Tourism and Culture Prahlad Singh Patel announced that all monuments can be reopened with complete precautions from July 6 onwards, amid relaxations in the COVID-19 lockdown.

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All Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)-protected monuments were closed for around three months due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown. A document released by the district authorities said on Sunday that The Taj Mahal, which is in the Taj Ganj police station jurisdiction, is a containment zone. The exact date of the reopening of these monuments has not yet been declared.

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