Random COVID-19 sample testing of 100 employees daily at Tirumala, regular check-up of devotees at Alipiri toll gate

Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) will continue COVID-19 testing for all the devotees visiting Tirumala without any compromise, TTD Executive Officer Anil Kumar Singhal said on Monday.

A high-level review meeting was held in the Chamber of Executive Officer at TTD Administrative Building on Monday with District Collector Bharat Narayan Gupta and other officials.

After the review meeting, Singhal said TTD will do random testing of a minimum of 100 employees every day who discharging duties at various places in Tirumala. 

The Executive Officer asked the Collector to provide the reports within 24 hours after testing. All TTD employees working at Tirumala are also directed to work at one place for a week without shifting their duty areas.

He directed the JEO TTD Basant Kumar to provide additional ventilators at the TTD central hospital for benefit of the employees. He also instructed the JEO to handover Srinivasam Rest House to District Collector. He said that if needed, a decision will be taken during next review meeting whether to use the BIRRD Ortho Hospital into a Covid-19 Centre.

The Madhavam Rest House which is already earmarked as a Quarantine Centre will be used for TTD employees and their kin, Singhal said. 

"A team of officials and staff headed by a Dy Executive Officer will be deployed to monitor the quarantine facilities for TTD employees and their family members", he added.

Additional EO AV Dharma Reddy, Chief Vigilance & Security Officer Gopinath Jetty, IPS Dy Collector,  DMHO Dr Penchalaiah, TTD Health Officer Dr RR Reddy were also present in the meeting.