India declares coronavirus a “Notified Disaster”, announces ₹ 4 lakh ex-gratia for families of deceased

March 14: The government of India on Saturday has declared the novel coronavirus outbreak in the country a “notified disaster” and announced Rs. 4 lakh ex-gratia for families of deceased, including those involved in relief operations or associated in response activities.  In addition, the cost of hospitalisation for those being treated for the virus has been fixed by state governments.

Such expenditure, the government added, will be drawn only from the state’s funds and not the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF). Total expenditure on equipment cannot exceed 10 per cent of the fund’s annual allocation.

Government decides to treat #CoronavirusinIndia as a notified disaster for the purpose of providing assistance under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF).#CoronavirusPandemic #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/A0x0BnlQ12

— PIB India (@PIB_India) March 14, 2020

The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in India rose to 85 on Saturday. So far 2 deaths due to the lethal infection have been reported in India. Various states have also reacted, with Maharashtra, Kerala, Delhi, Manipur and other governments shutting down public spaces, closing schools and colleges. On Saturday both Bengal and Goa announced similar measures.