Minutes before the historical ‘Janata Curfew’ came into effect on March 22, 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter and said that day-long lockdown for millions of Indians would ‘add tremendous strength to the fight” against coronavirus or COVID-19.
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“In a few minutes from now, the #JantaCurfew commences. Let us all be a part of this curfew, which will add tremendous strength to the fight against COVID-19 menace. The steps we take now will help in the times to come,” PM Modi wrote on Twitter.
On March 19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address to the nation, he urged citizens to stay indoors from 7:00 am to 9:00 pm on March 22 as part of the self-quarantine.
“There is no cure for this, so we need to remain healthy. We need to avoid crowds and stay home. Social distancing is critical. If you think you can roam around as usual and feel you will not be at risk, this is incorrect; you are endangering yourself and your family,” PM Modi had said in his address.
The number of Coronavirus cases in India has risen to 315 on Saturday. Except for businesses and government establishments dealing in essential items and services, all others will remain closed today.
Transport services will be severely affected throughout the country. Not only metro or local trains but also no long-distance or suburban – will run, the railways has said. The railway officials said that those already running won’t be stopped today.
Besides trains and buses, various airlines such as IndiGo and GoAir have said they will either operate in minimum capacity or cancel all flights. No metro trains will run in Delhi, Bengaluru and other cities.