Guwahati: As the global tally of journalists, died of Covid-19 complications since March 2020, reaches 840 in 68 countries, India records its latest victim as Jaipur based scribe Sanjay Bohra (50) succumbed to corona aggravated ailments on 2 March. Earlier popular television news anchor Vikas Sharma (35) passed away on 4 February due to post-corona complications.
“This is the heaviest toll in the media community since World War II. We deplore this large number of victims from the novel coronavirus and send our condolences to families and colleagues,” said Blaise Lempen, secretary-general of Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) adding that the journalists now should priority access to vaccination so that they can do their works in the field without endangering their lives.
After the Latin American countries (458 deaths) Asian nations witness maximum media corona-casualties (151 in 17 countries) followed by Europe (147 in 16 countries), North America (45 in 2 countries) and Africa (39 in 15 countries), said a statement of the Geneva-based media watchdog adding India leads in casualties (56) among the Asian countries followed by Bangladesh (44), Pakistan (23), Afghanistan (9), Nepal (3), Indonesia (2), Japan (1) etc.
Peru remains the country with the heaviest death toll where 108 media workers died from the coronavirus since March 2020. Brazil is in second place with 102 victims, ahead of Mexico, which deplores 87 journalists who died of Covid-19. Italy is the most bereaved European country with 46 journalist’s deaths.
Other nations with media corona casualties include United States (44), Ecuador (42), Colombia (37), Great Britain (26), Turkey (21), Panama (16), Ukraine (14), Bolivia (also 14), Russia (13), Spain (12), Argentina (9), Dominican Republic, Honduras, Nigeria, South Africa,
Venezuela (8 each), Egypt, France, Nicaragua (6 each), Guatemala (4), Cameroon, Iran, Morocco, Salvador, Sweden, Zimbabwe (3 each). At least two deaths reported from Algeria, Cuba, Paraguay, Portugal and one casualty among media workers recorded in Switzerland, Belgium, Poland, Bulgaria, Canada, Germany, Israel, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Chile, Czech Republic, DR Congo, Ghana, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Mozambique, Benin, Uganda, Uruguay etc.
