Agencies
New Delhi, March 24:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced a complete lockdown in the entire country to curb the rising graph of the deadly pandemic coronavirus covid-19. Addressing the nation for the second time in a week, PM Modi said, “From 12 am of March 24 entire country will be on complete lockdown for three weeks (21 days) due to COVID-19,” said PM Modi.”
“Coronavirus has made many powerful countries helpless; challenges are increasing despite all efforts. Experts are saying that ‘social distancing’ is the only way to tackle coronavirus. Social distancing not only for infected but for every citizen including the prime minister,” added PM Modi
He added that the lockdown is in a way curfew and would be more stringent than Janata curfew.
PM Modi appealed to all the people to not venture outside their homes for this period. “One step outside can make way for coronavirus into your house. If we won’t follow the nationwide lockdown for 21 days, we will be pushed back by 21 years. With folded hands, I appeal to people not to go out of their homes,” added the PM.
PM Modi has been interacting with various stakeholders on ways to check the spread of the deadly virus. Many businesses have suffered irreparable losses due to shutdown and restrictions in the aftermath of the coronavirus epidemic and thousands of jobs have been lost.
In his last address on the virus outbreak, PM Modi had called for “resolve and restraint” to fight the disease. He had also announced setting up of a task force, to be headed by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, to look at measures to limit economic hardship caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Over 500 coronavirus cases and 10 deaths have been reported in India so far, according to Health Ministry data on Tuesday. As cases of the viral infection surged, authorities have put almost the entire country under lockdown, banning gathering of people and suspending road, rail and air traffic till March 31.