Coronavirus: Saibaba Sansthan Trust appeals people to postpone their Shirdi visit

Amid the increasing number of Coronavirus cases in India, the Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust on Sunday appealed the devotees to postpone their visit to Shirdi for a while as a precaution against Coronavirus. 

"As per the directives of the government, I request the devotees to postpone their visit to Shirdi for a few days," said Arun Dongre, Chief Executive Officer of Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust, Shirdi.

The temple trust had also installed 11 infrared thermometers across the Temple premises. It is being said that all the devotees will be checked using an infrared thermometer.

Earlier On Saturday, Mumbai's Siddhivinayak temple located at Prabhadevi had instructed all its employees to wear masks, while the temple trust also provided hand sanitizers to everyone inside the temple. While interacting with a news agency, Siddhivinayak Temple Trust Chairman, Adesh Bandekar had said, "We are providing sanitizers to all the devotees in the temple and where they stand in a queue holding the railings, are being cleaned in every 30 minutes."

We have provided masks to every security guard who comes in contact with people the most and we have taken all the important measures to prevent Coronavirus," he added.

READ | Mumbai's Siddhivinayak Temple provides hand sanitisers to devotees amid COVID-19 outbreak

Coronavirus in India

According to the latest figures available on Sunday, the total number of positive cases of Coronavirus in India has soared up to 108 as per the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Two deaths have been reported in Kalaburagi and West Delhi respectively. India has suspended all visas, barring for a few categories such as diplomatic and employment apart from keeping in abeyance the visa-free travel facility to OCI cardholders till April 15.

Moreover, the Centre has “strongly advised” Indians to avoid all non-essential travel abroad. The government is also monitoring all suspected cases and has issued preventive advisories. 

Taking into consideration the rising number of Coronavirus cases, the Central Government on Saturday decided to treat the deadly virus as a "notified disaster."

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The Coronavirus crisis

First detected in Wuhan in December 2019, COVID-19- the novel Coronavirus has affected nearly 141 countries in the world. Presently, there are over 156,948 confirmed cases of COVID-19 which has led to the death of 5,839 people. As there is no vaccine or specific antiviral medicine to treat COVID-19, countries have been grappling with all possible mechanisms to contain its scope. So far, China, South Korea, Italy, and Iran have witnessed the most number of confirmed cases of the novel Coronavirus.

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(With inputs from ANI)