India Enters Into 3-Week Lockdown As Coronavirus Cases Spike
With more than 1.3 billion people in its country, India is now heading into a 3-week coronavirus lockdown as cases continue to spike.
On Tuesday (Mar 24), Prime Minister Narendra Modi made the announcement, stating, “From 12 midnight tonight, the entire country will go under a complete lockdown. To save India and every Indian, there will be a total ban on venturing out of your homes.”
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Similar to restrictions seen across cities in the U.S., no one can leave their home to socialize or work; exceptions only given to those in essential services. Modi added, “This is the only path we have in front of us. We cannot leave our houses no matter what. Everyone from your prime minister to a villager will have to follow social distancing. For three weeks, forget about the outside world. If we won’t follow the nationwide lockdown for 21 days, we will be pushed back by 21 years.”
Currently, there are 519 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the country, with 10 deaths and 40 recoveries, per Johns Hopkins.
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While the country appears to have some of the lowest numbers of cases compared to other nations, concerns are greater as the country also has some of the lowest testing rates in the world.
So to avoid further spread and infections of the virus, PM Modi has enacted an emergency order, keeping citizens at home for the next three weeks.