As many as eight servitors engaged in the construction work of the chariots for the upcoming annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath in Puri have tested positive for Covid-19.
Of eight infected persons, three are Maharana servitors and five are Bhoi servitors, informed Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) Development Administrator Ajay Jena on Thursday.
He said that a total of 88 servitors had been kept in isolation for undertaking construction work of chariots. They underwent Covid test, following which the results of eight came positive. The infected servitors have been sent for treatment.The chariot construction work began on the auspicious occasion of Akshaya Tritiya that fell on May 15 this year.The Collector of Puri district on Thursday visited the chariot construction place near the Jagannath Temple and inquired about the vaccination of servitors as well as about the facilities provided to them during their work amid the Covid-19 pandemic.The vaccination of the servitors in the 18-44 age group is underway ahead of the Rath Yatra scheduled on July 12. The SJTA has set a target to cover 4,300 servitors in the 18-44 age group within 15 days.