Thiruvananthapuram, May 10 (IANS): A journalist in Kerala who had tested positive for the Covid-19 has died after developing coronavirus-reated complications.

Vipin Chand, 42, passed away on Sunday following a massive heart attack. He is survived by his wife Sreedevi and son Maheshwar.

Following his death, the demand to declare journalists as frontline workers has grown once again.

Vipin had started his career with Indiavision Malayalam news channel in 2005 and joined Matrubhumi in 2012.

Kerala Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala , Union minister of state for External affairs and several other political leaders and people from all walks of life expressed their condolences on the passing away of the journalist.

Union minister of state for External affairs, V. Muraleedharan called upon the state government to consider journalists in the category of frontline workers and to provide all the benefits of the frontline workers including priority in vaccination. Kerala is yet to consider journalists as frontline Covid-19 workers. Punjab, Odisha, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu have already given journalists the status of frontline Covid -19 workers.