The Puri Shree Jagannath Temple in Odisha will remain closed for devotees on weekends in view of the surge in Covid-19 cases. On Saturday and Sunday, the temple will be disinfected. The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) on Friday said the devotee restrictions will come into effect from April 24. “Mostly people come on weekends to the temple. In order to avoid unnecessary crowding, we have decided to shut down the temple for two days (in a week). If the situation persists, the Rath Yatra will be held this year without the participation of devotees like the previous year. The festival will be held in a restricted way where servitors who test negative for Covid will be allowed to participate in the Rath Yatra,” said a senior SJTA official.