Mumbai: 31 journalists discharged after second COVID-19 test reports negative

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has announced that 31 journalists have been discharged on Sunday after their second COVID-19 test report came negative. All of them have been advised to undergo 14-day home quarantine. Those 31 were among the 53 journalists that tested positive in Mumbai last week. Over 170 media persons were tested as part of a special camp.

The media persons, mostly belonging to TV channels have been continuously covering the COVID-19 pandemic. The news of those journalists testing positive caused a scare in other metropolis and States with many in the fraternity demanding immediate free testing of journalists working on the field. Rajasthan and Assam have already announced that they will test reporters for the infection.

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Lockdown in Mumbai and Pune likely to be extended

Earlier, sources in the Maharashtra government informed Republic TV that there was no possibility of lifting the lockdown in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region and the Pune Metropolitan Region after May 3, when the national lockdown is set to end. As per these sources, such regions in the State shall continue to remain under lockdown due to the increasing number of cases. It is likely that the current restrictions will remain in place at least till June.

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Coronavirus outbreak

Currently, there are 7,628 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra out of which 1,076 patients have recovered while 323 casualties have been reported. Meanwhile, the Centre has approved of 'convalescent plasma therapy' and 'pool testing' in the state. Medical Education Minister Amit Deshmukh confirmed that the plasma therapy will be used on COVID-19 patients in Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur and Solapur. 

(PTI photo for representation)

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