Eight journalists from electronic and print media tested positive for COVID-19 in Anantapur city in the past one week and are being treated in various hospitals and home isolation.
Andhra Pradesh Union of Working Journalists on Thursday submitted a memorandum to BC Welfare Minister Malagundla Sankaranarayana and Anantapur Urban MLA Anantha Venkatarami Reddy seeking financial assistance for some very poor journalists, who had lost their jobs, and free COVID-19 treatment for all of them.
Insurance scheme
The APUWJ team led by secretary Srinivas Reddy, joint secretary Payyavula Praveen and committee member K.P. Kumar sought covering all the journalists, working on the field during the pandemic, under the ₹50 lakh insurance scheme provided by the State government for the frontline ‘COVID warriors’.
Meanwhile, Rapthadu MLA Thopudurthi Prakash Reddy’s office clarified that he was in self home quarantine following some of his office staff testing positive for COVID-19, but the MLA was not affected. “This is only a precautionary measure,” the statement said.