Thegovernment on Wednesday issued an advisory for media professionals working inthe print and electronic sector of the industry. According to the release bythe Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, media personnel have been advisedto take health and related precautions while performing their duties during thecoronavirus pandemic.

“Managementof media houses is requested to take necessary care of their field staff aswell as their office staff,” the advisory read. 

The advisorycomes after some media personnel in certain parts of the country were reportedto have contracted Covid-19.“It has come to the notice of the Ministry that alarge number of media persons have recently contracted with Covid-19 whilecovering the happening in certain parts of the country,” the statement read.

Nearly 50journalists in Mumbai and not less than 20 journalists in Chennai tested positivefor Covid-19 recently.

ChiefMinister Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government on Tuesday announced that theadministration will set up a special Covid-19 centre to test mediaprofessionals who have been reporting from the field during the coronaviruslockdown. The Karnataka government has also issued a similar order.   

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

India hasreported 50 deaths and 1383 new cases of coronavirus in the last 24 hours. Accordingto the Ministry of Health, the total number of positive coronavirus cases inthe country jumped to 19,984 on Wednesday. The figure includes 3870 patientswho have been cured or discharged and 640 deaths.