Karnataka declares journalists as ‘frontline workers’, to be vaccinated on priority
By Team Newsable | First Published May 5, 2021, 4:06 PM IST“Our government has decided to consider journalists as frontline workers and accord priority in vaccination against Covid-19,” Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa announced on Tuesday.
Amid the nationwide vaccination drive across the country, Karnataka becomes the latest state to declare journalists as frontline workers in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. With this, the journalists will be given priority in the Covid-19 vaccination exercise in India.
“Our government has decided to consider journalists as frontline workers and accord priority in vaccination against Covid-19,” Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa announced on Tuesday.
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He, however, appealed to journalists not to cover incidents in a manner that it created fear among people.
“There is a health emergency situation in the state as well as the country. It is the responsibility of the media to point out flaws and shortcomings but showing one issue continuously will create fear among people," Yediyurappa added.
Karnataka is now among the few states that have announced free vaccination for journalists. Earlier Punjab, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh had declared journalists as ‘frontline workers’.
MK Stalin, the soon-to-be Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, also declared media persons at frontline workers, on Tuesday. Stating that journalists work irrespective of the weather and pandemic, Stalin said, “The media persons will receive the same entitlements and support that are being provided to frontline workers.”
The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting held in Bengaluru Tuesday evening. Apart from this, Yediyurappa has directed district in-charge ministers to oversee the provision of oxygen, beds, Remdesivir and other requirements in their respective districts.
The coronavirus scenario in Karnataka is grim as the state reported over 44,438 cases and 239 deaths on Monday taking the total infections and fatalities to 16,46,303 and 16,250.
Active Covid-19 cases stood at 4,44,734. A total of 2.61 crore samples have been tested so far, out of which 1,49,090 tests done on Monday. The number of those who had taken the first and second doses of the Covid-19 vaccine now stood at 98.78 lakh, it said.
NOTE: Asianet News humbly requests everyone to wear masks, sanitize, maintain social distancing and get vaccinated as soon as eligible. Together we can and will break the chain #ANCares #IndiaFightsCorona
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