NEW DELHI: As the nation weathers the second wave of the Covid2019 outbreak, the news media community is working round the clock to keep the general public informed and apprised of the latest developments. Scribes in the country are also working closely with the government to drive awareness about the deadly virus and vaccine roll-out. However, until now, they have not been classified as frontline workers by the Centre.  

As newspersons are also at the forefront of the battle against the novel Coronavirus, the Editors Guild of India has requested the government to declare journalists as frontline workers and be allowed priority Covid vaccination.  

"News organisations have been relentlessly covering the pandemic, elections, and other current affairs in an effort to ensure that the flow of news and information to readers continues unabated. News media is included in essential services. Therefore it will only be fair that journalists be given this cover of protection, especially in the face of the number of infected rising to astronomical levels," the Editors Guild of India said in a statement.  

The letter has been signed by Guild president Seema Musthafa, general secretary Sanjay Kapoor, and treasurer Anant Nath. 

"Without the protection of a vaccination, media persons are finding it very difficult to discharge their professional responsibilities,” the Guild pointed out. “Therefore the EGI calls on the Union government to immediately get all journalists, regardless of age, vaccinated so that there is no disruption in their work during this critical time." 

India saw its highest single-day rise of 2,17,353 Covid2019 infections, pushing the country's tally of cases to 1,42,91,917, according to official data released on Friday.