After Lunar New Year, Ponagar Temple (Nha Trang City) often becomes more bustling with visitors. This year, due to the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic, the number of people visiting the temple has significantly decreased compared to previous years. However, in order to ensure health and safety of pilgrims and the public, the prevention and control measures have been strictly implemented at the monument.
After Lunar New Year, Ponagar Temple (Nha Trang City) often becomes more bustling with visitors. This year, due to the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic, the number of people visiting the temple has significantly decreased compared to previous years. However, in order to ensure health and safety of pilgrims and the public, the prevention and control measures have been strictly implemented at the monument.
Previously, Ponagar Temple often received more than 10,000 visitors per day; currently, this number has reduced to around 1,000 visitors. Although there are not as many visitors as before, there are periods of time when people flock to the temple, which can pose risks of infection. Therefore, the temple has strictly implemented pandemic prevention and control measures. Over the past week, the temple’s staff has always requested that the visitors wear masks and wash their hands with hand sanitizer before entering the temple. Visitors from localities outside Khanh Hoa have been requested to follow health recommendations right from the moment they buy tickets. The staff refuses to sell tickets to any visitor who does not follow the recommendations. Visitors have also been urged to wear masks properly throughout their visit at the temple.
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Implementing the official health recommendations, Ponagar Temple has arranged staff to be on duty and requested visitors to strictly follow the regulations; sprayed disinfectant to sanitize the whole area of the temple three times per week. Information boards about COVID-19 prevention and control measures were erected at many places of Ponagar Temple. Visitors are requested to keep a safe distance from each other inside the temples. A maximum of ten people are allowed inside the main temple and five inside small temples. During busy time, visitors must queue up to get inside the temples. The time for staying inside the temples is limited from three to five minutes.
Reportedly, when the third wave of COVID-19 community transmission broke out in the country, implementing the directions of the provincial Department of Culture and Sports, Ponagar Temple was closed to the public from the evening of February 11 to 13 (lunar December 30 to lunar January 2). Since reopening, the temple has strengthened prevention and control measures against COVID-19 to ensure health and safety of the staff and visitors. All the staff must declare medical information and strictly obey COVID-19 prevention rules.
Giang Đinh
Translated by H.N
