Chennai

Owing to concern over the Omicron variant of COVID-19, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) that governs the ancient hill- shrine of Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala, near here, on Friday said henceforth, pilgrims visiting the shrine must carry their fully vaccinated certificates or a COVID-19 test negative report taken 48 hours earlier, a senior TTD official said.

The devotees without the certificates or report would not be allowed to climb the hills either by vehicle or on foot, the official told PTI. He said such devotees would be sent back from the checkpoint at Alipiri, the foot of the hills, here.

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