Peru: Authorities cancel reopening of Machu Picchu amid coronavirus concerns

Just after a week of announcing Machu Picchu’s reopening, officials have now said that the famous tourist spot would not open in July due to coronavirus concerns. Machu Picchu, a world heritage site and the main attraction in Peru, is a 15th-century Incan citadel set high in the Andes Mountains. The site, however, was shut down in March after Peruvian authorities imposed a lockdown due to the pandemic. 

According to reports, the site’s management group made the decision after evaluating reports from authorities in the Cusco region, which houses the citadel. Speaking to international media reports Darwin Baca, the Machu Picchu district mayor said that it has been decided that the ancient citadel “would not open” on July 1 as per the previous schedule. In addendum, he also revealed that there were a series of health measures, like testing, still pending in the area.

‘No reopening date fixed’

Meanwhile, unions in the region have had regular protests against the reopening. According to them, the exposure and vulnerability to coronavirus would rise, if the site is made open to tourists. As of now, no particular date has been fixed for its reopening. This comes as he coronavirus infection has now infected 251338 people and killed 7861 making Peru one of the worst affected nations in the world, the latest tally by John Hopkins University stated.

Read: Barber Offers Hope In Peruvian Barrios Devastated By Virus

Last week, authorities had announced that the reopening of Machu Pichu with 675 visitors allowed each day, that too with proper social distancing and precautionary measures. In addition to that, the guides were also instructed to take the tour of seven people at once with mandatory use of masks. According to reports, the site saw an average of 2000 to 3000 visitors per day, with the peak hitting 5000 visitors every day.

Read: Perumal Murugan's Debut Novel To Be Published In English

Last month, the country’s government tried to revive tourism by announcing a plan to offer free tickets natural resources and archaeological sites to children, public sector employees and the elderly. However, there is no announcement of reopening of borders yet. Peru, the second-worst COVID-19  hit nation in Latin America has seen a decline in the tourism industry which employs nearly 10,000 people. Speaking to international media reporters,  Prime Minister Vicente Zeballos reportedly said that the tourism industry has suffered losses totalling $3.3 billion this year.

Read: Peru: Machu Picchu To Allow Limited Number Of Visitors After Reopening In July

Read: Peruvians Organise Community Kitchens To Stop Hunger

Image credits: Youtube