India under lockdown for 21 days to fight coronavirus
Indian Primer Minister Narendra Modi announced on Tuesday the government would impose a nationwide lockdown from midnight.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday the government would impose a nationwide lockdown from midnight for 21 days to stem the spread of the coronavirus.
Complete ban on leaving homes in India to fight coronavirus
"There will be a total ban on venturing out of your homes," Modi said in a televised address.
India has so far reported 519 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 10 deaths. While the number of cases is so far low, Modi and his government have moved swiftly to bring in the lockdown in an attempt to avoid the situation seen in countries such as Italy, where cases rose rapidly after the initial wave of infections, leading to the collapse of some hospitals and a large death toll.
Health officials issue dire warning in India
Health officials early warned that the coronavirus was spreading out of big cities where it first appeared into the small towns that dot the landscape. Researchers have warned that more than a million people in India could be infected with the coronavirus by mid-May.
India has already severed international flight links and domestic air services will stop at midnight in a bid to halt the spread.