IB Ministry issues advisory, asks media persons to 'take precautions' while covering COVID-19 incidents

In the wake of media persons contracting coronavirus, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Wednesday issued an advisory to print and electronic media calling on journalists covering coronavirus-related incidents to take precautions. The advisory issued by I&B has also asked the media houses to take necessary care of their field as well as the office staff. The Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar had recently expressed a shock over the Mumbai incident involving media persons. He said an advisory is being issued to all the newspaper and media establishments to ensure that adequate precautions are taken. "It has come to the notice of the Ministry that a large number of media persons have recently contracted COVID-19 while covering the happenings in certain parts of the country," it said. In view of the fact that media persons including reporters, cameramen, photographers etc are covering incidents relating to COVID-19 in various parts of the country involving travel amongst others, to containment zones, hotspots, and other COVID affected areas, it is advised that all media persons may take due health and related precautions while performing their duties, it added. Also Read | Chandigarh: Banks to open on alternate days with 50 percent staff strength The advisory has come a day after the governments of Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Delhi decided to arrange coronavirus tests for media persons. Some of the journalists from a Tamil news channel in Chennai tested positive for the pandemic in a fresh incident. -PTC News