NEW DELHI: India will close the iconic Taj Mahal to visitors from Tuesday as part of measures to try and combat the coronavirus pandemic, the tourism ministry said on Monday.

Most schools and entertainment facilities, including cinemas, have already been closed across India, the world’s second-most populous country with 1.3 billion people.

The South Asian nation has reported 114 positive cases and two deaths from the virus.

Worldwide, the number of deaths has passed 6,500 with more than 168,000 infections in 142 countries and territories.

“All ticketed monuments and all other museums have been directed to be closed until March 31,” Tourism Minister Prahlad Patel tweeted late Monday.

The UN cultural agency UNESCO calls the white marble Taj the “jewel of Muslim art”. US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania visited the site last month during his official visit to India.—AFP