The State government has decided not to increase the devotees being allowed darshan during the weekdays from the present 2,000 and 3,000 on Saturdays and Sundays during the Mandala-Makaravilakku pilgrimage season at the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple.
A high-level committee chaired by Chief Secretary Viswas Mehta on Monday decided to stick to the decision of November 26 in the wake of reporting of COVID-19 cases from the hill shrine, Pampa, and the base camp at Nilackal.
From December 2, the number of the pilgrims was increased from 1,000 daily to 2,000 and 2,000 to 3,000 on weekends by the State government based on the recommendations made by the high-level committee.
In the medical tests conducted in the hill shrine the other day, 36 were found positive for SARS-Cov2. In all, 48 were found positive in the hill shrine, Pampa, and Nilackal. Those tested positive include police personnel, fire force personnel, devaswom board personnel, and an employee of a hotel. The Health Department officials told the meeting that high alert was needed to check the spread of the pandemic.
