Berhampur: A journalist from Odisha’s Ganjam district has reportedly died of COVID-19. He is the third person from the media fraternity in the state to have succumbed to the virus.
According to sources, the deceased was the Buguda correspondent of a weekly Odia newspaper and a native of Balipadar village.
The 63-year-old scribe breathed his last around 8 am on Monday (July 13) at the TATA COVID Hospital at Sitalapalli, the editor of the magazine Rabi Rath told Odisha Bytes.
His wife, daughter, son-in-law and grandson have also tested positive for the virus. They are undergoing treatment at the Aska COVID Care Centre, he said.
His son had died on July 8 of pneumonia, he added.
Also Read: Ganjam Scribe Succumbs To COVID, First From Media Fraternity In Odisha
On July 11, a reporter of a leading vernacular daily in Ganjam district had succumbed to COVID-19. A day later, a journalist of Gajapati district, who was working with a Telugu newspaper, had also died of the disease.
Also Read: Another Journalist From Odisha Succumbs To COVID-19
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had, in April, announced ex-gratia payment of Rs 15 lakh to the next of kin of any working journalist who may die due to COVID-19.
