As many as 12 journalists of Belagavi district have tested positive for COVID-19 and have been advised home isolation.
The Election Commission has declared a COVID-19 negative report mandatory for entry into counting centres.
In the wake of the counting of the votes for the Belagavi Lok Sabha bypoll scheduled on Sunday, nearly 80 journalists of Belagavi had undergone a RT-PCR test on Thursday. The results of the same were received on Friday and Saturday, and 12 of them have tested positive.
Deputy Director of Information and Publicity Gurunath Kadabur has said that 11 among them are asymptomatic.
“However they have to remain in home isolation as per the COVID-19 protocols. The Health Department officials and staff will contact them and provide necessary treatment. The Deputy Commissioner has said that all necessary help would be extended,” he has said.
Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister and Transport Minister Laxman Savadi has personally spoken to Principal Secretary of Information Public Relations Anjum Parvez and asked him to arrange necessary treatment and medicines to all the journalists from Belagavi who have tested positive.
In a press release he has said that since the journalists served around-the-clock, taking care of their health was also important.
Priority should be given to the treatment of the journalists through coordination with the local Health Department.
Suitable health advisory should be given to the families of the journalists who have to undergo home isolation, he said, wishing them a speedy recovery.
