“The entire country will go on a lockdown from midnight. To save India, there will be a total ban on venturing out of your home. This is more stringent than the janata curfew,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday, in his address to the nation on 'vital aspects relating to the menace of COVID-19'.
The nationwide lockdown will last for a period of 21 days.
The PM urged people to stay at home. "I request people to stay where they are. This is the only way to break the chain of transmission," he added.
The Prime Minister appealed to Indians to stay at home, saying, “Stay at home, do one thing....stay at home.” He pointed out that experts have said that social distancing is the only way to combat the coronavirus. “If you step out, you invite a grave pandemic like corona to your home,” he said. The Prime Minister said that there is a misconception that social distancing is for only people who have COVID-19. “It is for every citizen, family and family member. It’s also for the Prime Minister.”
The Prime Minister said, "The questioin is, is there hope amid this? What is the solution? What is the alternative? The ray of hope comes from those countries where residents didn't emerge from their homes for weeks. They gave 100% coooperation to government directives."
“As you sit at home, think of those people who are still doing their duties," he said.
Noting that the poor would be worst hit by the lockdown, the Prime Minister said, "A number of people are coming forward to help the poor. We are making efforts to give not only what is required for daily life but also what is required for protecting life. To deal with this global pandemic, the Centre is taking the necessary steps."
He appealed to citizens to not fall prey to rumours or superstitions. “If you do fall sick, do not take any medicine without a prescription from a doctor,” he said.
The Central government has allocated Rs 15000 crore for medical facilities to fight coronavirus, said the PM. This includes testing centres, ICU beds, personal protective equipment etc.
He also thanked citizens for adhering to the janata curfew and making it a success.
As of Tuesday, India reported 523 COVID-19 positive cases of which 40 had recovered from the disease.
