Bhubaneswar, July 11: A 42-year-old journalist of an Odia daily infected with Covid-19 died at a Covid Hospital in Bhubaneswar this afternoon.

The deceased has been identified as Priyadarshi Patnaik, a resident of Ganjam district. Sources said that Patnaik was admitted to the Bhubaneswar based Covid Hospital five days ago. However, he breathed his last on Saturday afternoon while undergoing treatment.

“A post-mortem will be conducted to ascertain whether he died of Covid-19 or any other co- morbidities,” said a doctor of the Covid Hospital.    

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in April had announced that the state will provide an ex-gratia of Rs 15 lakh to next of kin of working journalists dying due to Covid-19.