Twenty-six employees of a leading Tamil news channel in Chennai are reported positive to novel coronavirus tests. Two days ago, the channel office reported its first Covid patient, probably the 'index' patient for this cluster of journos.
The 24 years old index patient is the sub-editor for the news channel. Sources of his contacts to the virus are under the officials' probe.
Among the 94 others who underwent subsequent tests in the office, 26 were resulted positive.
"The results of some samples have not yet come. So, this is the number so far," a Chennai Corporation office spoke to the media.
The channel's office in Royapuram has been sealed and locked by the officials. As a precaution, all the primary contacts of these patients, including the family members have been quarantined.
Following the Mumbai and Chennai incident, 30 media persons mostly with the electronic media were tested for Covid-19 by Gurugram administration today. However, all samples were found to be negative.
Mumbai journalists tested positive
In another similar case reported earlier, around 53 of 167 television journalists in Mumbai were tested positive to the deadly contagion.
Most of the tested are young reporters and camerapersons, who have been spending several hours every day reporting on the viral infection throughout the city.
Currently, Maharashtra is among the high-risk states with over 3,000 cases reported.
The Mumbai Press Club has appealed to the state chief minister to extend Rs 50 lakh insurance cover –that has been provided for other workers categorised under "essential services" – to journalists as well.
The National Alliance of Journalists, along with the Delhi Union of Journalists and the Brihan Mumbai Union of Journalists have jointly filed a PIL before the Supreme Court accusing the media employers of demanding its employees work in such difficult times and places.
