Taj Mahal reopens as India eases pandemic restrictions
23 June, 2021
The Taj Mahal reopened to visitors Wednesday, as Indian authorities loosened restrictions following an easing in the country's devastating recent coronavirus surge.
Infections and deaths soared to record levels in April and May, overwhelming health services in some places and prompting lockdowns and other curbs.
Cases have declined in recent weeks, with several major cities including New Delhi and Mumbai easing many restrictions.
In Agra, where the Taj Mahal is situated, tourist guides and shopkeepers were upbeat as India's top tourist attraction sprung back again to life Wednesday.
The 17th-century monument of love built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan was shut in March this past year, reopened in September and closed again in April.
Crowds were thin on the first day of the reopening, with authorities restricting visitor numbers to 650 each day.
Covid-19 precautions meant visitors weren't permitted to touch the shining marble mausoleum, but those making the pilgrimage to 1 of the New Seven Wonders of the World were still delighted.
"I am very glad I got to view it, it really is amazing," gushed Brazilian visitor Melissa Dalla Rosa, 40.
"I cried when I first saw, oh my God... (it had been) a very special experience," she told AFP.
Lucky Feizan, 20, a shopkeeper, said the lockdown had squeezed hard those dependent on the Taj Mahal because of their livelihood.
"This (was) the next wave of Covid. (With a) third I am finished," he told AFP.
India on Tuesday reported 62,224 new Covid-19 infections over the past 24 hours, weighed against around 400,000 each day in April and May.
The total caseload now stands at almost 30 million with 380,000 deaths, although some experts say the true toll could possibly be over a million.
Photos widely shared on social media last weekend showed busy stores and markets in the capital New Delhi, raising fears that cases may rise again.
Kerala, among the worst-hit states, said Tuesday it'll allow public transport to resume while Madhya Pradesh in central India permitted stores and gyms to reopen.
Cases of a usually very rare but deadly infection referred to as mucormycosis, or "black fungus", in coronavirus patients also have declined in lots of areas.
The western state of Maharashtra still has more than 7,000 active cases, however, according to reports.
The rise in these fungal infections, contracted by thousands of people, has been blamed on the excessive use of steroids to take care of Covid patients.
Source: www.thejakartapost.com