Tirupati: 91 TTD employees test positive for COVID-19

Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh) [India], July 12 (ANI): Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Executive Officer Anil Kumar Singhal held "Dial your EO" program at TTD administrative building conference hall wherein the EO addressed the devotees and media and informed that 91 TTD employees have tested positive for COVID-19 to date.
He said: "Corona tests are conducted for 1865 TTD employees at Tirumala, 1704 TTD employees at Aliiri, and for 631 devotees till July 10. 91 of TTD employees at Tirumala are detected corona positive. A special menu is made available at employees' canteen for the sake of employees' health."
"None of the devotees have any health issues. We have been enquiring over the phone with the devotees after their return to houses. We called 700 devotees between June 18 to 24 and called 1,943 devotees between July 1 to 7. All of them replied that they are healthy," he added.
He said that after lockdown relaxation, the temple was opened for devotees' darshanams on June 11. In this one month from June 11 to July 10, as many as 202,346 devotees booked tickets online, 1,64,742 of them came for darshan while 55,669 devotees did not visit the temple.
"97,216 devotees purchased darshanam tokens through counters at Tirupati. While 85,434 devotees had darshan; 11,782 did not visit the temple. In this one month period, hundi collection is Rs 16.73 crores. Total 13.36 lakhs laddus are sold to the devotees," he said.
"A total of 82,563 devotees offered their hair. 430 barbers wore PPE kits, followed COVID restrictions and have been tonsuring the devotees. Tri Ozone Spraying system is set up at the scanning centre near temple main entrance and the way through which Archakas and staff enter the temple. The hydroxy free radical ions spayed through this kills viruses causing diseases," he added. (ANI)