PUTRAJAYA (Bernama): The Perikatan Nasional government has launched a special fund to provide financial aid to those directly affected by the Covid-19 outbreak.

Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said for a start, RM1mil had been channelled into the fund to help unemployed Covid-19 patients and those under 14-day quarantine.

"We don't want their lives to be affected. So, this is one type of humanitarian aid we are giving.

"If we can raise funds from the people, whatever we collect will be given to those eligible for the aid," he told a press conference after chairing the first Cabinet meeting at Perdana Putra here Wednesday (March 11).

Ministers who attended the meeting also contributed to the fund when the hat was passed around at the launch of the COVID-19 Fund after the press conference.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba, at a ceremony at the Higher Education Leadership Academy (Akept) in Nilai, said individuals without fixed income or salary would be given aid of RM100 a day during the quarantine period.

The fund, which is managed by the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma), covers those placed under 14-day home surveillance as well as Covid-19 patients being treated at hospitals.

There were 20 new positive Covid-19 cases in Malaysia recorded on Wednesday, bringing the total number of cases to 149. – Bernama