Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday hinted that journalists currently on the ground covering the novel Coronavirus outbreak in New Delhi will be tested for the infection.
This comes a day after 53 media people in Mumbai tested positive for COVID-19. The chief minister's decision to conduct testing for journalists came after a Twitter user, a scribe, said the ones who tested positive for the deadly virus were all asymptomatic.
"It could only be known as mass tests of all journalists were done in Mumbai. I would like to request Delhi CM @ArvindKejriwal to arrange such mass test for Journalists in Delhi as well," he wrote on Twitter. Responding to the tweet, Kejriwal said: "Sure. We will do that."
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Journalists have been at the forefront of this battle, bringing stories from the ground on healthcare, migrant crisis and government policcies.
During a special camp organised at the Azad Maidan on April 16 and 17 for COVID-19 testing of scribes, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) collected swab samples of 171 media persons, including electronic and print media journalists, photographers and cameramen.
"Out of the 171 media persons, 53 tested positive for coronavirus," BMC spokesperson Vijay Khabale said, adding that most of those who tested positive are asymptomatic at present.
All the media people found infected with coronavirus will be kept in isolation and a process was underway to find out suitable places to the purpose, he said.
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Efforts were also on to trace their high and low-risk contacts.
On Monday night, the BMC decided to isolate the 53 media persons at a hotel in Goregaon for the next 14 days.
Meanwhile, Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar has decided to place herself under quarantine after some journalists with whom she had interacted recently tested positive for the
coronavirus infection.
Till Monday, Mumbai recorded 3,032 COVID-19 cases with 139 deaths.
(With inputs from agencies)
