As COVID-19 numbers spiked, the Mysuru Palace Board has limited the entry of tourists to 200 at one time in a bid to curb crowding. Also, two doses of vaccination are a must for local tourists and negative reports with two doses of vaccination has been made compulsory for visitors from other States.
At one go, 200 are permitted entry into the palace and others have to wait for their turn to enter the iconic structure. The staff at the palace ensure that the new entry and exit system is followed until further instructions.
Palace board Deputy Director T.S. Subramanya told The Hindu that the measure has been taken to contain the spread as cases are surging in Mysuru since the last few days.
“We did not give entry to some visitors today as they had taken only one dose of vaccine. Two doses are compulsory and we won’t compromise on this. In case of inter-State travelers, COVID-19 test is a must which is done on the palace premises. They get entry only when their report is negative irrespective of their vaccination status,” he added.
Mr. Subramanya, however, said footfall has dropped since the cases spiked and the Omicron outbreak. The daily footfall has dropped from 4,500 to 1,800. “Despite 100% vaccination, our staff undergo RT-PCR test once a month as a safety precaution. We are enforcing the SOPs strictly and accordingly,” he replied.
The footfall have been hit since the first wave of pandemic. They haven’t normalised with the pre-COVID-19 footfall and are still not restored.
The board depends on the daily gate collections for maintaining the iconic structure and paying staff salaries. There is no grant from the government for palace maintenance. The illumination costs the board a sizable sum.
Meanwhile, no curbs have been introduced for visitors at the Mysuru zoo. “Since it’s an open and spacious place, there is no need to impose any curbs on the entry. There is no need to limit the entry like done at the palace as the visitors move around in open places. The zoo authorities also told me that they are strictly ensuring the visitors wear face masks,” said Deputy Commissioner Bagadi Gautham, during his media interaction here on Monday.
At the zoo too, the footfalls have dropped. On Tuesday, 1,500 people visited the zoo. “Footfall is falling rapidly,” said zoo executive director Ajit Kulkarni. He said face masks are a must to enter the zoo. Masks are sold at the zoo.
The zoo earnings have also dropped. Its income was hit in the first and second waves and the management is now keeping its fingers crossed with the third wave progressing.
