Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Thursday announced that his government will provide insurance of Rs.10 lakh to all the journalists who are reporting during coronavirus pandemic. Khattar’s announcement comes at a time when scores of media professionals have tested positive for coronavirus while performing their duties during the COVID-19 lockdown.
Nearly 50 journalists in Mumbai and not less than 20 journalists in Chennai tested positive for COVID-19 recently. Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had announced that the administration will start testing media personnel for coronavirus. The testing began on Wednesday at a dedicated COVID-19 centre in Delhi.
Kejriwal took to Twitter and said: "Dear friends from media, Testing of media persons has started at a covid test centre. I wish u all very good health."
Print and electronic media are part of essential services and professionals working in the field are exempt from the lockdown. India entered the ninth day of the nationwide coronavirus lockdown which will come to an end on May 3.
India coronavirus confirmed cases have crossed 21,000-mark taking positive patients toll to 21,393 including 681 deaths and 4,258 have recovered, according to health ministry's figures released on Thursday.
(With inputs from ANI)
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