Media houses sealed over COVID-19 positive cases

ISLAMABAD: Following nine confirmed cases of coronavirus pandemic in staff of a media house, its office building has been sealed on Monday.

Nine staff members of the media house were tested positive as they used to visit nearby mosque for prayers. It also worth mentioning here that a few days back, the mosque was sealed after Khateeb of the said mosque tested positive.

Following the symptoms of coronavirus, 20 staff members the media house were tested for COVID-19, among them eight staff members were tested positive.

Earlier, Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) has also been sealed from April 24, 2020 after confirmation of COVID-19 cases among two staff members of News Section. It is also worth mentioning here that an ex-staff member of APP Zafar Rasheed Bhatti, who had served as In charge Central News Desk of APP, died of COVID-19 on Monday morning. He was admitted to quarantine Center in critical condition. The tests of 13 staff members of APP have been taken but results were awaited, the APP sources said.

Meanwhile, there are also reports that some suspects from a newspaper has also been tested for coronavirus symptoms.

Earlier, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Secretary Information Marriyum Aurangzab has expressed gave concern at high incidence of coronavirus in media houses.

In a statement issued on Monday, she demanded the government take immediate and concrete measures to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all journalists. She said that provision of protective gear [personal protective equipment] to journalists must be a top priority of the government. She expressed disappointment over the government inability to announce interest-free loans for the media industry so that the workers’ salaries could be paid on time. The government has also not provided any relief package for journalists, she added.

The former information minister also extended her condolences over the death of former APP employee Rashid Bhatti from coronavirus. She said it should set alarm bells ringing in all government ranks.

She urged Imran Khan to focus his mind and energies on the raging pandemic in the country instead of pursuing his petty, vengeful political agenda. She said instead of ranting all day and night against Shahbaz Sharif, he must get worried over the fact that doctors and journalists were dying across the country because the government had failed to protect them with appropriate gear.

Marriyum said it was not time for politics but to do anything and everything to save lives and livelihoods of people of Pakistan. But sadly, she said, the government had been obsessed with petty politics even at this crucial time of history.