As people in states like Kerala, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam, and Puducherry are eagerly waiting for the election results, national media outlet Times Now has decided to suspend its counting day coverage on May 02. In a recent statement, Times Now revealed that the decision was made in view of the prevailing Covid situation in the nation.
Election campaigns resulted in Covid surge
In the statement, Times Now made it clear that Indians could have avoided the Covid surge by controlling the election campaign that has been carried out in various states over the past couple of months.
"Our nation faces its biggest health emergency in a centiry. Each one of us has now experienced the devastation and loss the pandemic has brought home or very close to it. And there is right indignance among citizens at large, that the second wave would have been better controlled had we avoided two of the mega risk events in the last two months, Kumbh Mela and elections in five states in normal campaigning mode," said Times Now.
Election celebrations will not be covered, updates will be aired
Times Now added that they will not cover election celebrations as a symbolic gesture of their disagreement with the untimeliness of this activity. Times Now news bulletins on May 02 will primarily focus on coronavirus-related reports, and election updates will be shown as scrolling flash news.
"We will keep COVID-19 as our main priority and focus on COVID-related news reports, the latest on the progress of the universalized vaccination drive, information on helplines, and interaction with healthcare and mental wellness experts," added Times Now.
On April 30, India witnessed more than 4,00,000 fresh Covid positive cases, and 3,253 deaths. As the second wave of coronavirus continues to wreak havoc in the country, medical experts believe that the double and triple mutant variants of coronavirus are the reason behind the sudden surge.
