Underlining the gravity of the situation caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today announced that India will go under a 21-day lockdown starting tonight.
Stating that the 21-day period was most crucial to break the chain of transmission of the infection, PM Modi said that there will be a complete ban on venturing out of homes during this duration and that this will be more stringent than the March 22 Janata Curfew.
“If we are not able to manage this in 21 days, the country will be set back by 21 years, many families will be destroyed forever,” the PM said.
Explaining the speed with which this pandemic was spreading across the globe, the PM said that it took 67 days for the number of coronavirus positive patients to reach 1 lakh while the next one lakh mark was crossed in just 11 days and more alarmingly, the next one lakh mark was crossed in a mere four days.
PM Modi also said that the Centre has made provisions of Rs 15,000 crore to boost up health infrastructure to deal with Covid-19. He appealed to the people to not believe in rumours and superstitions. He also asked people to not take any medicines without a doctor’s prescription.
Highlighting the importance of social distancing, PM Modi said that experts are saying that social distancing is the only option to combat the virus. “If we have to stop the spread, we have to break the cycle of transmission,” the PM said, asking people to think of this lockdown as a “lakshman rekha” outside their homes which they shouldn’t cross.
In reference to large-scale violations of lockdowns across the country, PM Modi also warned that the “irresponsible attitude of a few” can jeapordize the entire nation.
He added that India will have to pay a huge cost if this irresponsible behavior goes on.
The total number of positive cases of Coronavirus in India rose to 519 on Tuesday.