New Delhi, Apr 17 (IANS): The management of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya Dargah has decided to close the dargah for devotees till April 30 in view of the unprecedented rise in Covid cases in the the national capital. During this period, devotees will neither be allowed to chant at the dargah nor enter inside the tomb.

Qashif Nizami, general secretary of the Nizamuddin Dargah Committee, told IANS, "Corona cases are increasing rapidly in Delhi. A number of restrictions are being imposed by the government to prevent further infections. Weekend curfew on Saturday and Sunday has been clamped. People come from all over the country to the dargah, so there is a risk of infection."

He said, "Precaution is very important to avoid infections. People should wear mask as well as follow social distancing norms. The dargah has been closed till April 30 for the safety of the people. Entry to the dargah will be forbidden. If the current situation prevails even after April 30, the dargah will be closed further."

Covid cases in the national capital have been rising rapidly with 19,486 infections recorded in the last 24 hours. At least 141 people died in Delhi in the same time span.