India on Tuesday imposed a three-week long nationwide lockdown as part of the country's efforts to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the stringent measure as India is struggling to contain the outbreak that has so far infected 519 people and killed 10. "Today, I am going to announce a very important measure in our fight against Covid-19. The entire country will be under lockdown from today. The complete lockdown will come into effect from midnight tonight," Modi said in his televised address to the nation. If we listen to the health experts we know that 21 days are crucial to break the cycle of transmission," Modi added. "For a few days forget what it means to go out. Today's decision of a nationwide lockdown draws a line outside your home." Describing the situation in different countries due to the pandemic that has infected hundreds of thousands of people and killed over 16,000, the Indian premier said: "This virus has been spreading very fast across the world. It spreads like wildfire. Looking at the experience of these countries, and what the experts say, the only successful way to tackle the spread of the virus is social distancing." This was the second time in a week when PM Modi addressed the country on the fast-spreading disease. In a television address last Thursday, PM Modi had appealed to people to practice social distancing and work from home. He had also asked Indians to observe "Janta Curfew," a self-imposed restraint measure by the people to keep themselves and others in the society safe. — Agencies
