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India Imposes Nationwide Coronavirus Lockdown


A plainclothes policeman wields his baton against a man as a punishment for breaking the lockdown rules, after India ordered a 21-day nationwide lockdown to limit the spreading of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Kolkata on March 25.
A plainclothes policeman wields his baton against a man as a punishment for breaking the lockdown rules, after India ordered a 21-day nationwide lockdown to limit the spreading of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Kolkata on March 25.

India has imposed a nationwide lockdown in a bid to slow the spread of the coronavirus, joining a growing list of countries that have taken a similar move.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a "total ban on venturing out of your homes" to the Indian people in a televised address on March 24.

The restrictions went into effect on March 25 and will be enforced for 21 days.

India, which has a population of 1.3 billion, reported a total of 562 confirmed coronavirus cases on March 25 -- including 10 deaths.

More than 435,000 people have tested positive for the coronavirus worldwide, including more than 19,625 deaths, Johns Hopkins University's global database on the disease showed on March 25.

Based on reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP

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