Govt to treat COVID-19 as notified disaster; victims’ families to receive Rs 4 lakh ex-gratia

New Delhi: The government of India Saturday said it will treat the growing outbreak of Covid-19 as a notified disaster so that they can provide assistance under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF).

It listed assistance norms in a release published Saturday, and said Rs 4 lakh would be paid to the families of victims, “including those involved in relief operations or associated in response activities, subject to certification regarding the cause of death from the appropriate authority.”

So far, India has reported more than 80 cases of the coronavirus disease, which first emerged in China late last year but has spread far enough to be considered a pandemic. Two people have died in Karnataka and Delhi.