NEW DELHI: In the wake of spurt in cases of coronavirus pandemic in the country, the Ministry of Home Affairs on Saturday decided to treat Covid-19 as a "notified disaster".
The move would enable the states to spend a larger chunk of funds from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) to fight the pandemic.
Coronavirus LIVE UPDATES | Centre announces Rs 4 lakh ex-gratia to kin of dead
The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in India rose to 83, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Saturday. So far, two deaths due to the lethal infection have been reported in the country.
The coronavirus, which originated in China's Wuhan city in December last year, has so far spread to more than 100 countries, infecting over 1,20,000 people.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared coronavirus a pandemic and Europe as its epicentre with more reported cases and deaths than the rest of the world combined, apart from China.