Coronavirus outbreak: Mata Vaishno Devi yatra closed from today

• J&K administration suspended the Mata Vaishno Devi Yatra due to the coronavirus outbreak.
• Inter-state busses coming to and from Jammu and Kashmir have also been suspended.

The coronavirus outbreak has also affected the ongoing Mata Vaishno Devi Yatra as the Jammu & Kashmir administration announced the suspension of the pilgrimage with effect from Wednesday (March 18).

The J&K administration had yesterday asked the pilgrims to postpone their visit to the shrine to avoid the spread of coronavirus.

Three confirmed cases of Coronavirus have been reported in Jammu and Kashmir. Ladakh has reported eight cases.

Yatra suspended, buses stopped

The closure of the Yatra was announced by state government spokesperson Rohit Kansal on Twitter. Additionally, all inter-state busses to and from Jammu and Kashmir have also been suspended.

In a tweet, J&K spokesperson Rohit Kansal said, "Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Yatra has been closed from today. All interstate buses, incoming and outgoing from J&K banned from today."

Shrine board had advised pilgrims to postpone the visit

The Shrine Board had already started taking steps to control the spread of Coronavirus. Ramesh Kumar, CEO of SMVDSB in an earlier statement said, "We have not suspended the yatra... all necessary measures have been taken to meet the challenge posed by coronavirus infection."

No case reported in Kashmir valley

All of the three confirmed coronavirus cases in J&K have been reported in the Jammu region. As of now, there are no confirmed cases in the Kashmir valley. People with travel history to affected countries such as China, Iran and Korea have been asked to self-quarantine themselves.

Vaishno Devi is not the only temple to close its doors

Vaishno Devi is not the only temple to close its doors due to the coronavirus outbreak. Most temples in Maharashtra and Himachal Pradesh have been closed already and more temples are expected to be shut in the coming days as state governments take steps to control the spread of the deadly disease.

See also:

Coronavirus cases in India state wise: 164 infected, 14 cured and 3 dead

Maharashtra coronavirus infected people toll climbs to 41; 1 dead

Coronavirus enters 'most secured' Tihar Jail as 18 prisoners quarantined