At least 53 journalists in Mumbai have tested positive forCovid-19, Huffpost reported on Monday citing Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporationofficials. The number is expected to increase.

BMC Health Committee member Amey Ghole told HuffPost Indiathat samples of 167 journalists had been sent for testing. “Out of 167 samples,53 have come positive for Covid-19,” he said. “The number could go up.” These53 journalists include reporters, cameramen of news channels andphotojournalists.

Journalist Ashok Bagriya tweeted that an entire team ofreporters of a television channel in Mumbai had tested positive.

Maharashtra has reported the highest number of coronaviruscases in the country. As of Monday, 4,203 people had been infected in thestate, including 223 deaths, according to the Union Ministry of Health andFamily Welfare. In Mumbai alone, over 2,700 persons have tested positive.

Joint Health Secretary Lav Agarwal said at a daily pressconference that it was unfortunate that journalists have tested positive forCovid-19, ANI reported. “When you [journalists] attend your call of duty, kindlytake the required precautions, follow the norms of social distancing and wearface masks,” he said.

Earlier too, some journalists had been found infected withthe virus. Two journalists in Chennai tested positive for coronavirus earlierthis month, after showing mild symptoms, The News Minute reported. A journalistfrom Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh also tested positive for Covid-19 in March.

The Centre had on March 25 imposed a three-week lockdown tobattle the spread of Covid-19. On April 14, Prime Minister Narendra Modiextended the lockdown to May 3.