Coronavirus: Four Karnataka journalists home quarantined; classes 7-9 examinations postponed
Four Karnataka journalists were quarantined after interviewing family of COVID-19 victim in Kalaburagi. Meanwhile, Karnataka education department postponed examinations for classes 7-9.
FollowBengaluru: Four journalists, who had interviewed the son of India’s first coronavirus casualty, were quarantined in North Karnataka’s Kalaburagi district on Saturday. The journalists have been kept in isolation at their residences.
The journalists interviewed family members of the coronavirus patient who died later. So they have been home quarantined, said medical education minister K Sudhakar.
Kalaburagi deputy commissioner Sharat S said, “Four journalists had met the primary contacts. In order with the government’s medical precautionary directions, they have been quarantined at their residences.”
While two of the journalists worked for a Kannada TV news channel, the two cameramen worked for a local YouTube channel, sources said.
The head of one of the channels has sent an email asking journalists in other locations not to interview patients or relatives. The 76-year-old man, who died on March 10 in Karnataka while being treated for suspected coronavirus became India's first COVID-19 fatality.
Meanwhile, the Karnataka government has started an informal group on the messaging app Telegram to take coronavirus queries from the public.
Meanwhile, examinations for school students in classes 7, 8 and 9 in Karnataka will be postponed until after March 31, education minister S Suresh Kumar said on Sunday. This is due to the coronavirus pandemic. The revised dates will be announced at a later period.
However, the exams for class 10 and PU (pre-university) students will continue as per schedule.
This comes as the state is under a partial, week-long lockdown in a bid to prevent the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19), since Saturday, March 14. All schools and other educational institutions were already closed as part of the same directive, with the exception for holding exams.
