India Goes into Complete Lockdown to Combat Coronavirus
from
midnight on Tuesday, banning people from leaving their homes as it
scrambled to break the chain of transmission of coronavirus in the
country.
Affecting 1.3 billion people, it will be world’s largest lockdown
announced since the coronavirus pandemic began its march in countries
across the globe.
In a televised address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told citizens
that the lockdown should be viewed as a type of curfew. "The only way to
save ourselves from coronavirus is if we don’t leave our homes;
whatever happens, we stay at home,” he emphasized.
It was his second address to the nation in a week. Pointing out that the infection spreads like wildfire, the Indian leader warned: "If we don't handle these 21 days well, then our country, your family will go backwards by 21 years."
Citing
health experts, Modi said, "India is today at such a stage, where our
actions today will determine our ability to reduce the impact of this
disaster.”
India’s clampdown comes hours after neighboring Nepal began a weeklong lockdown.
The stakes in combating coronavirus are high for South Asia, home to
one-quarter of the world’s population, many of them poor. A decrepit
health infrastructure has made these countries nervous about how they
will cope if the number of cases begins to spiral.
India’s official count of 482 cases and nine deaths is widely believed to be an underestimate due to limited testing that has been carried out. Experts are also skeptical about official claims that there is no community transmission so far and warn that cases of coronavirus have begun spilling from big cities where it came via people who had traveled overseas into small towns.
Nepal has only reported two cases but fears the numbers could rise because thousands of migrant workers who work in India returned home in recent days.
An Indian police, left, and a paramilitary personnel stop a vehicle during a complete lockdown amid growing concerns of coronavirus in Gauhati, India, Tuesday, March 24, 2020.
Ahead
of India’s strict clampdown, many people were seen venturing out of
their homes despite restrictions that came into effect starting Sunday
in place in large parts of the country, including major cities like
Mumbai and Delhi.
The country has been slowly pulling its shutters down in recent days –
most big companies have told employees to work from home, large
gatherings are banned, shopping malls, businesses educational
institutions and tourist sites are shut and even temples have told
worshippers to stay away.
The perpetually crowded rail stations and airports are already virtually empty as air and train services are suspended.
On social media, most people accepted the need for the lockdown and
praised the country’s efforts to stop the infection in its tracks.
But even as Modi emphasized the importance of social distancing to
break the spread of coronavirus in the country, many pointed out that it
was difficult to implement for millions of families who are often
crowded into a single room in cramped urban slums.
There are also growing concerns about how tens of millions of poor people who depend on daily wages and have casual jobs will cope with the economic toll of the strict clampdown on their livelihoods.
VOA
AFEEF:
Hadhwanaagnews marnaba masuul kama aha Aragtida dadka kale. Qoraaga ayaa xumaanteeda, xushmadeeda iyo xilkeeda sida. waxa kaliya oo Hadhwanaagmedia dhiirigalinaysaa, isdhaafsiga aragtida, canaanta gacaliyo talo wadaagga!