india

Updated: Apr 22, 2020 15:30 IST

The Delhi government of Wednesday started testing media personnel for coronavirus after scores of media professionals in parts of the country contracted the disease while performing their duties on the field.

“Dear friends from media, Testing of media persons has started at a covid test centre. I wish u all very good health,” Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted out.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government on Tuesday announced that the administration will set up a special Covid-19 centre to test media professionals who have been reporting from the field during the lockdown. The Karnataka government has also issued a similar order.

The move came after nearly 50 journalists in Mumbai and not less than 20 journalists in Chennai tested positive for Covid-19 recently.

The Centre also issued an advisory for media professionals who have been working amid the coronavirus crisis.

Dear friends from media,



Testing of media persons has started at a covid test centre. I wish u all very good health pic.twitter.com/ZRz1BOYFJW — Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) April 22, 2020

In its advisory, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting urged the media personnel to take health and related precautions while performing their duties.

“It has come to the notice of the Ministry that a large number of media persons have recently contracted with Covid-19 while covering the happening in certain parts of the country,” the statement read.

Print and electronic media are part of essential services and professionals working in the field are exempt from the lockdown.