Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on April 27th, 2020 announced a Rs 50 lakh insurance cover for journalists who are reporting on novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the state.
The announcement comes amid a spike in the number of cases where journalists have contracted the highly-contagious virus.
Several journalists have tested positive for coronavirus across the country.
“Frontline journalists have been bravely covering #COVID19 against all odds, risking their lives and they are our real heroes. Our Govt will cover each one of them with a life insurance cover of Rs 50 lakh,” Sonowal wrote on Twitter.
The Assam government has also asked every journalist working on the field during the pandemic to undergo testing for COVID-19.
Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had recently arranged for exclusive COVID-19 testing at the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has also issued an advisory to print and electronic media calling on the journalists covering COVID-19-related incidents to strictly take precautions.
Photo credit: @sarbanandsonwal
