Only those who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will be allowed to enter the famous Madurai Meenakshi Amman temple in Tamil Nadu from December 13, the temple administration said on Saturday.
The decision followed Madurai district collector Dr S. Aneesh's order banning unvaccinated people in public places in the wake of concerns over the Omicron variant.
"Those who have not been vaccinated in Madurai will be barred from entering public places including fair price shops, business establishments, supermarkets, theatres, wedding halls, shopping malls, garment shops, banks and liquor stores," the collector's order said, according to news agency ANI.
The district administration has also been taking measures to send those who have not been vaccinated to nearby centres.
On December 4, the collector had given a week time to people to get at least one dose of vaccine.
Tamil Nadu has not reported the Omicron cases so far even as the health department has stepped up screening and testing at all international airports in the state.
Government said all international passengers who tested positive for COVID-19 thus far carry the Delta variant of the virus.
