Amid growing demands for Puri Srimandir to be reopened for devotees, Over 400 staffers at the Jagannath temple have tested positive for Covid-19 so far. This comes as nine of these patients have succumbed to the virus, 16 are undergoing treatment at the Covid-19 hospital in Odisha's capital city Bhubaneswar. As most of those who tested positive are in home isolation, there is a shortage of servitors to perform rituals. The majority of servitors, however, do not want the temple to be reopened before the end of November owing to the safety of their communities.