As the Covid-19 pandemic continues claiming more journalists around the world, the Switzerland based media watchdog Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) urges everyone not to take novel coronavirus infection lightly. Mentioning popular Indian television news presenter Vikas Sharma, who died of post-corona complications, the forum highlighted the persisting danger even after recovering from the infection.
"Till date, we have recorded the deaths of 736 journalists in 63 countries since 1 March 2020, where Peru remains the country with heaviest casualties with 95 dead followed by Mexico (84 victims), Brazil (77), India (55), Italy & Bangladesh (44 each), Ecuador (42), USA (38), Pakistan (23), Great Britain (22), Turkey (21), Ukraine (14), Russia & Panama (12 each), Afghanistan (9), Nepal (3), Indonesia (2), etc," said Blaise Lempen, secretary-general of PEC.
He also added that the PEC, while offering condolence to families and colleagues of the deceased, started a corona-ticker to pay tribute to those media workers who died during the pandemic. Media workers have an important role to play in the fight against the virus as they have to inform about the spread of Covid-19. Their safety is at risk as they must continue to report from the ground and hence the PEC supports the request for early vaccinations for journalists on the frontlines, asserted Lempen.
