COVID-19: All centrally protected monuments/ sites and museums shut till May 15, says ASI

In the wake of pandemic and rising COVID-19 figures, all centrally protected monuments/ sites and museums under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) will be closed with immediate effect until May 15 or until further orders. Union Minister of State for Culture & Tourism (I/C) Prahlad Singh Patel in order to contain the prevailing COVID-19 situation effectively shut all monuments/ sites and museums for the public. Pertaining to these orders, the culture ministry stated,

"In view of prevailing COVID-19 situation, all centrally protected monuments/sites & museums under Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) will be closed with immediate effect till May 15 or until further orders."

Even last year, all monuments and sites maintained by ASI were closed due to the existing COVID-19 pandemic. This was issued following a frightful rise in the number of COVID-19 cases across the nation for the past three weeks.

India battling COVID-19 surge.

In the past 24 hours, India has recorded over 1,000 deaths, the health ministry stated the total death toll has now been extended to 1.75 lakhs. This resulted in India becoming the country with the second-highest number of cases, after the United States of America. Despite widespread misery and COVID-19 scare across the nation, more than one State government had ruled out the option of 'complete lockdown'.

However, several States have imposed night or weekend curfew or both. Maharashtra, inhabiting its 12.5 crore people, recorded 61,695 new COVID-19 cases and 349 deaths despite government-imposed Section 144 of CrPC in the State. The national capital recorded 16,699 new cases and 112 deaths. Delhi government also announced a weekend curfew in the national capital.

Meanwhile, in Uttar Pradesh with a population of 24 crore, the government has announced a night curfew in districts with over 2,000 COVID-19 cases. The curfew will be implemented in places such as Lucknow, Prayagraj, Varanasi, Kanpur city, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Ghaziabad, Meerut and Gorakhpur, among others. While Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, Chandigarh, Odisha, Uttarakhand have imposed a night curfew in the entire State. States like Gujarat, Chattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Jammu and Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh have imposed night curfew partially in some parts of their State.

The total number of cases in India now stands at 1,40,74,564, total recoveries are at 1,24,29,564, active cases at 14,71,877 and death toll at 1,73,123.

Several State health authorities across the nation have complained of a shortage in supply of COVID-19 medicines and vaccines but the Union Health Minister, Dr. Harsh Vardhan assured there exists no dearth of COVID-19 vaccine in the country.