Tirupati, August 10: Around 743 employees of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), including some priests of the Lord Venkateswara shrine, tested positive for coronavirus after the temple reopened for devotees following the relaxation in the coronavirus induced lockdown. According to an Indian Express report, three staff are reported to have succumbed to their infection so far.

Among the people who have been infected, 402 staff members have recovered completely, while the other 338  are undergoing treatment. As per reports, not a single devotee has tested positive for the virus so far. India's COVID-19 Recoveries Cross 1.5 Million, Infection Remains Concentrated in 10 States, Says Health Ministry.

Around 2.38 lakh pilgrims from different parts of the country had darshan of Lord Venkateswara in July.  The temple received Rs 16.69 crore Hundi collections and Rs 3.97 crore through e-Hundi. TTD Executive Officer Anil Kumar Singh as quoted in a Times of India report said that cases have not increased in Tirupati alone, but the entire state as well the country is facing a similar problem.

Tirumala temple had reopened for pilgrims on June 8 after remaining closed for 80 days due to lockdown. In the initial few days, the temple was allowing only 6,000 pilgrims per day, however, later the number of pilgrims was doubled.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 10, 2020 09:01 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).