PM Modi Ordered A 21-Day Complete Lockdown In A Bid To Curb CO.VID-19 Outbreak

India has just announced its largest lockdown ever, taking effect starting Wednesday in a bid to ward off CO.VID-19.

PM Modi advised Indian citizens to stay inside otherwise they might bring the Co.ro.na.vi.rus to their homes. The PM also promised $2 billion to improve India’s healthcare system.

Modi said that the government were aware that the economy would take a big hit as a result of the 21-day lockdown. However, if India did not commit to this lengthy curfew, the country would be set back 21 years. This move has put one-fifths of India’s population under lockdown.

This announcement has caused panic as people rushed to markets to hoard essential supplies. In many places, the police has been called to disperse crowds gathering around stores.

Experts warned that in a densely populated country where clean water is sacred, local spreading is something India could not avoid.

When WHO declared CO.VID-19 a global pandemic, India triggered the British Raj-era epidemic act, giving the government absolute power to stop the infection of the virus. PM Modi even warned that CO.VID-19 could spread like wildfire in India.

The last few days have seen India gradually increasing the intensity of its lockdown order, from banning domestic and international flights, to suspending its railway system until the end of March.

PM Modi did not elaborate on which services were allowed to continue operating but he said that essential supplies would be ensured.

According to the ministry of home affairs, the list of essential services include banks, grocery stores, gas stations, and all of them are permitted to stay open. Moreover, no more than 20 people are allowed to attend a funeral.

A lockdown like this means disaster for 300 million Indians who are living below the poverty line. While the government has said nothing on their plans to help the poor, Nirmala Sitharaman, Indian finance minister, announced that a relief package would be made public soon.

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