Ganjam: A journalist working for an Odia daily in Ganjam district succumbed to COVID-19 Saturday.
The scribe has been identified as Priyadarshi Patnaik. A resident of Hinjili area in Ganjam district, Patnaik was 46 years old.
Priyadarshi was undergoing treatment at KIIMS COVID-19 hospital in Bhubaneswar after being tested positive for the deadly disease. He had been on ventilator support for past six days.
This is the first instance of a media person losing the battle to the deadly virus in the state.
Priyadarshi’s family is expected to receive Rs 15 lakh ex-gratia from the state government. An official statement on this context is yet to be made. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in April had announced Rs 15 lakh ex-gratia for journalists dying owing to COVID-19.
It may be mentioned here that COVID-19 cases continue to rise rapidly in the state. With 595 new COVID-19 cases detected in Odisha Sunday, the state tally has gone up to 13,121 with 64 dead.
PNN