I&B Ministry issues advisory, asks media persons covering COVID19-related incidents to take precautions

In wake of a large number of media persons contracting COVID-19, Ministry of Information and Brocasting issued an visory to print and electronic media on Wednesday, calling on journalists covering coronavirus-related incidents to take precautions. visory also asked manment of media houses to take necessary care of ir field as well as office staff.

"It has come to tice of Ministry that a large number of media persons have recently contracted COVID-19 while covering happenings in certain parts of country," it said.

In view of fact that media persons, including reporters, cameramen, photographers, etc. are covering incidents relating to COVID-19 in various parts of country involving travel, amongst ors, to containment zones, hotspots and or COVID-affected areas, it is vised that all such media persons may take due health and related precautions while performing ir duties, visory said. "Manment of media houses is requested to take necessary care of ir field staff as well as office staff," it said.

visory comes a day after governments of Uttar Presh, Karnataka and Delhi decided to arrange COVID-19 tests for media persons. Some journalists from a Tamil news TV channel in Chennai tested positive for infection in a fresh incident involving scribes.

Also, during a special camp organised at Az Maidan in Mumbai on April 16 and 17 for COVID-19 testing of scribes, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) collected swab samples of 171 media persons, including electronic and print media journalists, photographers and cameramen.

Out of 171 media persons, 53 have tested positive for coronavirus. Information and Brocasting Minister Prakash Javdekar h expressed shock on Monday over Mumbai incident involving media persons, and said an visory is being issued to all newspaper and media establishments to ensure that equate precautions are taken.