COVID-19: ASI orders shutting of all monuments, museums

The Archaeological Survey of India on Tuesday ordered shutting down of all its centrally protected monuments, and cancelled all permissions given for filming, photography and cultural events within its premises till March 31 as a precautionary measure against the coronavirus.

A formal order was issued a day after Tourism and Culture Minister Prahlad Patel had announced the move and instructed ASI to do the needful to contain the spread of the virus in the country.

"Keeping in view COVID-19, ministry of culture has decided to shut all ASI monuments, sites and museums till March 31...all the online permissions like filming, free entry, photography, cultural events issued for the above period shall also remain cancelled," the order stated.

There are 3,691 centrally protected monuments and sites under the ASI.

The order came after a high-level meeting of the Group of Ministers (GoM) on COVID-19 on Monday.

In the meeting it was decided that a set of measures for social distancing should be implemented as a preventive strategy.

India has reported 126positive cases include 22 foreign nationals. So far, three people have lost their lives after getting infected with the virus.