Pathanamthitta (Kerala): After weeks of closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Sabarimala temple in Kerala on Saturday opened its doors for five days to allow devotees to conduct monthly rituals.

The temple will remain open from today till July 21. COVID-19 protocol, including wearing masks and social distancing, will be strictly followed. A maximum of 5000 devotees will be allowed through the online booking system. Those who wish to visit the temple will have to provide a complete Covid-19 vaccination certificate or a negative RT-PCR report within 48 hours of the visit.

Kerala is one of the worst COVID-affected states in the country. A lockdown had been imposed in the state earlier in April when the second COVID wave hit to tackle the worrying rise in COVID-19 cases. Months later, the state is still recovering from the wave, with daily cases hovering between 10,000 to 15,000 for the last few weeks

A weekend lockdown is still in place in the state. As many as 13,773 cases were reported on Thursday. As per the union health ministry, there are currently 1,22,436 active cases. A total of 29,93,242 recoveries and 15,155 deaths have been reported so far.

Under the nationwide vaccination drive, 1,64,86,091 doses have been administered so far, including 1,19,18,696 first doses and 45,67,395 second doses.