All public museums and monuments, including Taj Mahal, closed till March 31 as coronavirus spreads

With coronavirus cases in India inching towards 130, the government has decided to keep all the public monuments and museums — including the iconic Taj Mahal and Red fort — shut till the end of this month.

"All ASI monuments and central museums will be shut till March 31 in view of the spread of coronavirus. We are taking this very seriously," Union Culture Minister Prahlad Patal announced.

There are nearly 3,700 monuments and sites under the Archeological Survey of India. Most schools and entertainment facilities, including cinemas, have already been closed across the country.

This only the third time in history that the historic monument Taj Mahal has been closed. During the 1971 war with Pakistan, the Taj Mahal was closed for more than a week. During the flood in 1978, it was again closed for a couple of days.