24 media people test positive for coronavirus in Balochistan

Published May 11, 2020
Health authorities say coronavirus cases are increasing with every passing day in the province.  — AFP/File
Health authorities say coronavirus cases are increasing with every passing day in the province. — AFP/File

QUETTA: Over two dozen journalists and other media workers were infected with coronavirus in Quetta on Sunday while 72 doctors and 40 paramedics also tested positive for the deadly virus and were quarantined in hospitals and in their homes.

Health authorities said that Coronavirus cases were increasing with every passing day in the province.

According to official reports, 82 new positive cases were reported on Sunday, taking the total number of coronavirus positive cases to 2,017.

Health Department spokesman Dr Wasim Baig said that two patients of Covid-19 lost their lives, taking the total death toll in the province to 24.

“Around 86 per cent people contracted the virus locally as they had no history of travelling abroad,” he said.

The media people who contracted the virus include senior journalists, bureau chiefs, cameramen of private TV channels and workers performing work in different sections of media offices.

Health officials said on Sunday that Coronavirus tests of 50 journalists and media workers had been carried out in the Quetta Press Club. Out of 50 tests carried out, 27 tested positive.

Bureau offices of at least three private TV channels were sealed after some of their staff members were found infected with Coronavirus. Senior journalists who tested positive for Coronavirus include Balochistan Union of Journalists (BUJ) president Ayub Tareen, who is the Bureau Chief of Hum TV, Dunia TV Bureau Chief Irfan Saeed, a lady reporter and three other staff members of the Dunia TV.

Besides, a senior reporter and engineer of Geo TV channel also tested positive for Coronavirus while reporters, drivers and other staff of Neo TV and GNN were also shifted to isolation centres after they tested positive for Covid-19. According to some health officials, reports of some media people were yet to come.

The Balochistan government, despite warning of experts and doctors, announced easing of the lockdown and allowed traders to open shops, markets, shopping malls, cloth shops, tailors and other businesses from Monday.

Published in Dawn, May 11th, 2020

Opinion

Editorial

Smog hazard
Updated 05 Nov, 2024

Smog hazard

The catastrophe unfolding in Lahore is a product of authorities’ repeated failure to recognise environmental impact of rapid urbanisation.
Monetary policy
05 Nov, 2024

Monetary policy

IN an aggressive move, the State Bank on Monday reduced its key policy rate by a hefty 250bps to 15pc. This is the...
Cultural power
05 Nov, 2024

Cultural power

AS vital modes of communication, art and culture have the power to overcome social and international barriers....
Disregarding CCI
Updated 04 Nov, 2024

Disregarding CCI

The failure to regularly convene CCI meetings means that the process of democratic decision-making is falling apart.
Defeating TB
04 Nov, 2024

Defeating TB

CONSIDERING the fact that Pakistan has the fifth highest burden of tuberculosis in the world as per the World Health...
Ceasefire charade
Updated 04 Nov, 2024

Ceasefire charade

The US talks of peace, while simultaneously arming and funding their Israeli allies, are doomed to fail, and are little more than a charade.