Coronavirus: PM Narendra Modi announces nationwide lockdown for 21 days

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced a nationwide lockdown for 21 days in order to contain the rapid spread of the coronavirus in India.
 

In his second speech on the issue, the prime minister urged the country's ctitizens, with folded hands, to stay indoors for 21 days (until April 14).However, that’s not all what the PM said in his nearly half an hour-long address.
 

Here's a quick look at PM Modi’s second address to the nation amidst the coronavirus pandemic:
 

PM Modi started by praising people for the self retsraint shown by them during Sunday's Janata Curfew. He then spoke about the potential risks faced by India if the coronavirus was not contained on time. He also spoke of other developed and industrialised countries struggling to combat the pandemic, despite having developed medical facilities. 
 

Underlining the critical importance of 'social distancing', the PM said that if India’s 1.3 billion people did not practise social distancing and broke the chain of Covid-19's spread in the next 21 days, the virus' outbreak could push the country back by 21 years, leaving the country and many families devastated forever. 
 

The PM also warned citizens that if the virus was not contained now, the aftereffects could drag not just the economy, but also severely undermine the nation’s progress.
 

He said the well-being of the country and its citizens was his topmost priority, and he would do his utmost to save the peoples' lives. 
 

A little after the speech, PM Modi tweeted the home ministry guidelines, which said all essential services and supplies would be maintained for the entire duration of the lockdown. He also appealed to the people not to panic.
 

Apart from telling people to stay away from rumours, he warned that in case of any health problems, they shouldn’t take any unprescribed medicine...

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