On March 24, 2020Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered India’s 1.3 billion people to stay inside of their homes for 21 days (NY Times 1). Prime Minister Modi stated, “To save India and every Indian, there will be a total ban on venturing out” (AP). This is the largest and most severe action taken anywhere in the world to stop the spread of coronavirus (NY Times 1). At the beginning of the lockdown, there were 469 active cases of coronavirus in India that has resulted in a total of 10 deaths (AP).
Panic ensued in cities across India as people scrambled to grocery stores and ATMs in an attempt to collect essentials before the lockdown (NY Times 2). The lockdown includes schools, offices, factories, parks, temples, railways, and airspace (NY Times 2). Only essential services including water, electricity, health services, fire services, groceries, and municipal services will be active during the lockdown (CNN). In order to soften the economic blow from the shutdown, the government has announced new measures, including extending deadlines to file tax returns (CNN).
Sources:
https://apnews.com/176c1393bb1d93a2fb39d2f714d04f8b
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/25/world/asia/india-lockdown-coronavirus.html https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/24/asia/india-lockdown-coronavirus-intl/index.html