"Praying For Recovery": Arvind Kejriwal On Journalists Testing Positive

Coronavirus: Three journalists in Delhi have tested positive, Arvind Kejriwal said (File)

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said this morning that only three of 529 journalists and media persons screened for the COVID-19 virus had tested positive. Mr Kejriwal said he was "praying for (the) speedy recovery" of those infected by the virus and also offered "best wishes" to all journalists, stating "your work is very important, especially during a pandemic".

"Am so happy to share (that) only three out of 529 media persons tested have been detected positive. My best wishes to all of you. Your work is very important, especially during a pandemic. Those who have been detected positive, I am praying for your speedy recovery," he tweeted.

The decision to test all journalists and media persons came after a number of their colleagues in Mumbai and Chennai tested positive.

Am so happy to share only 3 out of 529 media persons tested have been detected positive. My best wishes to all of you. Your work is very important esp during a pandemic. Those who have been detected positive, I am praying for your speedy recovery

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) April 29, 2020

"We have set up a centre. All media houses and journalists will be informed about it. Interested media persons can undergo tests from tomorrow morning at the centre," Mr Kejriwal said last week.

A similar decision was announced by the governments of Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh.

"Dear friends in media, you are toiling 24 hours a day without bothering about your life just like the doctors and police. Our concern is that you should not overlook your health while performing your duty. I request you to please take care of your health and undergo medical examination," Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa tweeted.

The announcements came after 53 Mumbai journalists, including two employees of NDTV, and two Chennai journalists, tested positive on Monday.

The national capital is among the areas most badly hit by the novel coronavirus outbreak that has infected over 31,000 people across the country and killed over 1,000; Delhi has over 3,300 cases and has recorded 54 deaths linked to the virus.

This morning 47 new COVID-19 cases were reported from a CRPF (central reserve police force) battalion stationed in east Delhi's Mayur Vihar. The number includes one soldier who died Tuesday.

On April 24, nine from the battalion tested positive. The next day, 15 were found to be positive.

On Tuesday Delhi Health Minister Satyender Jain told Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan that the sheer size of containment zones in the city state were hampering operations; there are 98 containment zones, of which 11 have a population of over one lakh people.

This is leading to problems with surveillance and a delay in test results being declared and, consequently, a surge in number of cases, Mr Jain explained to the Union Minister.

Over the past few days, however, a glimmer of good news has emerged in the war on the coronavirus, with positive results of experimental plasma therapy. Delhi reported the country's first plasma therapy success story last week; the patient was a 49-year-old man who was treated at a private hospital.

The centre has cautioned against celebrations though, saying the treatment is still in an experimental stage and could prove "life threatening" if not conducted properly.