by Thinus Ferreira
The eNCA (DStv 403) financial reporter Heidi Giokos has tested positive for Covid-19, days after her on-air colleague Shahan Ramkissoon at the TV news channel also got a positive test result and says she is speaking out because she wants to help break the stigma around Covid-19 people.
Heidi Giokos, the younger sister of TV reporter Eleni Giokos working for CNN International (DStv 401) from CNN's Johannesburg bureau, said that she wanted to make her Covid-19 positive result known and talk about it to help break down the stigmatisation that clings to Covid-19 people in some quarters.
Heidi Giokos is the latest eNCA journalist cloistered at home because of Covid-19 after Shahan Ramkissoon and other eMedia staffers tested positive for the virus at the Hyde Park headquarters of eMedia Investments.
On Thursday eNCA was asked if it had any comment but the TV news channel didn't respond to the media enquiry.
This past Saturday evening the Afrikaans TV news bulletin eNuus was also forced to broadcast a pre-recorded episode instead of live news on kykNET (DStv 144) after it was also forced to shut down for a deep-clean because of a Covid-19 case.
"I've tested positive for Covid-19. I've only had mild symptoms but I'm OK and I know I will overcome this. My priority remains to keep my family safe," Heidi Giokos revealed on Thursday.
"I wanted to speak out because for some reason there's a stigma and despite my constant efforts to wash hands, santise everything, wear a mask, I realise that many of us are exposed to people, will take on that risk," she says.
TV reporters and staffers at the SABC and its SABC News (DStv 404) division, eNCA and its e.tv News and eNuus divisions, as well as Newzroom Africa (DStv 405) have all been affected and are grappling with Covid-19 cases.
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