The Government of India has completely shutdown all activities across the country for 21 days to curtail the spread of COVID-19 in the country. India Prime Minister, Narendra Modi announced this in a televised address to the country on Tuesday 24 March.

Modi said that with effect from midnight of Wednesday 25 March, the country would be totally shutdown.

He said that the country would bear the economic implications of the shutdown. “Certainly, the country will have to bear the economic cost of this lockdown. But the government’s priority is to save the life of every Indian at this time,” Modi Said.

He added that the total lockdown would prevent backwardness that the Coronavirus could cause on the Indian nation and the economy.

“If we are not able to manage the coming 21 days, we will be pushed back 21 years” Modi warned.

Recall that India had embarked on partial lockdown for several days yet it has over 500 confirmed cases of COVID-19.