The Bagmati Provincial government has announced financial support to work effectively in controlling the spread of Covid-19 and helping those affected.

The Cabinet meeting on Sunday approved a working guideline formulated to control the Covid-19 outbreak and provide treatment to the affected people. The provincial government decided to provide support through the disaster management committee formed in each local unit.

“The government has decided to provide Rs 2 million to each metropolitan city, Rs 1.5 million to each sub-metropolis, Rs 1.2 million to each municipality and Rs 1 million to each rural municipality as immediate support,” said Shalikram Jammarkattel, provincial minister for internal affairs and law.

There are a total of 119 local units including three metropolitan cities in the province. The provincial government also announced its plan to provide Rs 500,000 to a relief fund established by the District Coordination Committee in all 13 districts of the province.

According to Jammarkattel, the amount provided by the provincial government can be used to control the coronavirus spread, set up isolation wards and quarantine facilities, purchase medicines and medical equipment and provide relief to the impoverished families.

A meeting of the provincial level disaster management committee was held soon after the Cabinet’s decision on Sunday. The meeting, presided by Chief Minister Dormani Paudel, vowed to allocate the announced support to the local bodies at the earliest. “Discussions were held regarding the efforts made by the provincial government to control the coronavirus spread and possible measures that should be taken in future,” said Kailash Dhungel, minister for financial affairs and planning. According to him, the federal government has informed them they will provide the province with medicines and equipment by Monday.

So far, the Bagmati province has set up quarantine facilities with the capacity of 2,075 beds in different districts. “Currently, quarantine facilities with a capacity of 589 beds are under construction. And, 623 beds isolation wards have been established in 10 districts except in three districts of the Kathmandu valley,” said Dipendra Subedi, the spokesperson at the Ministry of Social Development. According to him, 20 people have been kept in isolation wards and 325 others are quarantined in the province.

As per the data available at the social development ministry, swabs of 83 people were collected for the laboratory test of which 65 were tested negative for Covid-19. Reports of other tests done are yet to come.

Meanwhile, Hetauda Sub-metropolis distributed foodstuff to construction workers left without provisions in the city. The metropolis said it has been collecting data of the people who face food shortage due to the lockdown and is executing its plan to provide them with food ration.