(Bloomberg) -- India's Uttar Pradesh state will pay workers to help them meet daily needs as the country tries to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said.
Bordering the national capital of New Delhi, Uttar Pradesh is India's most populous state with around 200 million inhabitants. It will distribute 1,000 rupees per month to over 3.5 million day laborers and constructions workers, Adityanath said in a broadcast posted to his Twitter account.
Delhi's Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also announced measures to alleviate financial stress for the poor, including up to 5,000 rupees pension to be paid to 850,000 beneficiaries by April 7, and larger rations for those entitled to food subsidies.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for a so-called People's Curfew for 14 hours on Sunday, urging Indian citizens to stay at home as much as possible. The government will announce support measures for virus-affected sectors of the economy as early as possible, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said Friday. The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in India climbed to 283 from 223.
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