Coronavirus: 1.3 billion Indians placed into lockdown
21-day restriction imposed to tackle spread of virus
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has imposed a nationwide lockdown in an attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
The restrictions came into force at midnight local time and will be enforced for 21 days, after India reported a sharp increase in Covid-19 cases in recent days.
“There will be a total ban on venturing out of your homes,” Modi said in a televised address. “The entire country will be in lockdown, total lockdown.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
“To save India, to save its every citizen, you, your family... every street, every neighbourhood is being put under lockdown.”
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
For a round-up of the most important stories from around the world - and a concise, refreshing and balanced take on the week’s news agenda - try The Week magazine. Get your first six issues for £6–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
There have been 519 confirmed cases of coronavirus across India and 10 reported deaths. However, analysts say the figure may be so low because of a lack of testing.
Deutsche Welle reports that people displaying symptoms of the disease have been turned away from government run hospitals, even with referrals from private clinics. The virus has spread to almost all states in India, with the highest number of cases in Maharashtra and the southern state of Kerala.
Healthcare facilities are limited in India, says The Guardian, with only 40,000 ventilators, one isolation bed per 84,000 people and one doctor per 11,600 Indians.
Despite Modi’s insistence that there is no need to panic, the lockdown has triggered frenzied scenes, with many Indians reverting to panic buying.
“I have never witnessed such a chaos in my life,” the owner of one store in the Shakarpur district of Delhi, told the Press Trust of India. “All our stocks, including rice, flour, bread, biscuits, edible oils, have been sold out.”
Rajini Vaidyanathan, South Asian correspondent for the BBC, writes: “The implications of a total lockdown in India are huge, not just economically, but socially.
“This is a nation where community is everything. Going to worship at a temple, mosque or church is an essential part of daily life for so many. This is a seismic cultural shift.”
CNN says that at the last count there were around 400 million people in India’s labour market. Of those, more than half were self-employed, and 121 million were casual workers, meaning they were only paid for the days they worked.
This makes the lockdown a frightening prospect for many. Ramesh Kumar, who comes from Banda district in Uttar Pradesh state, told the BBC: “I earn 600 rupees (£6.50) every day and I have five people to feed. We will run out of food in a few days.”
However, Modi insists the measure are necessary, warning that if India does not “handle these 21 days well, then our country... will go backwards by 21 years”.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
The Onion is having a very ironic laugh with Infowars
The Explainer The satirical newspaper is purchasing the controversial website out of bankruptcy
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
'Rahmbo, back from Japan, will be looking for a job? Really?'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
What's next for electric vehicles under Trump?
Today's Big Question And what does that mean for Tesla's Elon Musk?
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Long Covid: study shows damage to brain's 'control centre'
The Explainer Research could help scientists understand long-term effects of Covid-19 as well as conditions such as MS and dementia
By The Week UK Published
-
FDA OKs new Covid vaccine, available soon
Speed read The CDC recommends the new booster to combat the widely-circulating KP.2 strain
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Mpox: how dangerous is new health emergency?
Today's Big Question Spread of potentially deadly sub-variant more like early days of HIV than Covid, say scientists
By The Week UK Published
-
Deadly 'brain-eating' amoebas could be spreading thanks to climate change
Under the Radar Naegleria fowleri causes rare and lethal infection, but recent uptick in cases suggests it is thriving in warming waters
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Last updated
-
What is POTS and why is it more common now?
The explainer The condition affecting young women
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Brexit, Matt Hancock and black swans: five takeaways from Covid inquiry report
The Explainer UK was 'unprepared' for pandemic and government 'failed' citizens with flawed response, says damning report
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
India's toxic alcohol problem
Under the Radar Bootleggers add lethal methanol to illegal liquor to cheaply increase potency, leading to widespread casualties
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Should masks be here to stay?
Talking Points New York Governor Kathy Hochul proposed a mask ban. Here's why she wants one — and why it may not make sense.
By Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week US Published