Coronavirus Updates: India Heads For Complete Lockdown As Covid-19 Cases Mount

Amid a countrywide 'Janta Curfew', several Indian states today announced lockdowns in some form or the other to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus outbreak.

As of 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, India had 396 confirmed cases of Covid-19, including seven people who succumbed to the disease. According to latest data from the government’s Indian Council of Medical Research, a total of 18,127 samples from 17,237 individuals have been tested for SARS-CoV2.

Preventive measures against the virus have been stepped up.

• Indian Railways has suspended all passenger train services till March 31.
• The central government has locked down the 75 districts where coronavirus cases and deaths have been reported.
• Maharashtra has announced Section 144 across all urban areas of the state, in addition to the partial shutdown in Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur.
• Delhi, which had already curbed all non-essential services in the state, announced that the Delhi Metro will be shut till March 31.
• Fifteen Uttar Pradesh districts, including Lucknow, Varanasi and Kanpur, will be under lockdown till March 25 in the first phase.
• Kolkata and several areas across West Bengal will be put under lockdown from Monday 5 p.m. till March 27.
• Jammu & Kashmir, Chandigarh, Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Odisha, Nagaland, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Gujarat,and Rajasthan have announced shutdowns as well, barring essential services.

Also Read: India Issues Guidelines For Private Testing Of Covid-19

Track latest news updates on how the coronavirus situation is evolving in India here:

Karnataka government has announced shutdown of all commercial activities, barring essential services, in Bengaluru and eight other districts of the state till March 31.

All these nine districts—Bengaluru city, Bengaluru rural, Mangaluru, Mysuru, Dharwad, Kalaburagi, Chikkaballapura, Kodagu and Belagavi have reported cases of Covid-19.

"After taking stock of the coronavirus situation in the state and in neighbouring states, the chief minister has announced shutdown from tomorrow till March 31," the government said. Other than essential services like medical, grocery and agriculture, all other commercial activities will be under "shutdown".

"In these nine districts in factories where there are large number of workers, half work force should be utilised on alternate day basis, 50 percent of the labour should be used on a day," he said. Inter-district transport services from these nine districts has been cancelled till March 31.

Minutes after Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced that no domestic or international flights will operate from the Delhi airport from Monday till March 31, a senior official of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation said that domestic flights will operate as usual at the airport.

The Centre had announced three days ago that no international flight will be landing on Indian soil from Sunday for a period of one week.

"Domestic flights to and from the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi will continue to operate and the airport will remain functional," the DGCA official said.

At a press conference Sunday evening, Kejriwal told reporters that no domestic or international flight would be allowed to arrive at the Delhi airport from March 23 to March 31. In an order, the Delhi government subsequently reiterated the same.

However, with DGCA stating that domestic flights will continue to operate at the Delhi airport, the confusion was cleared.

Andhra Pradesh government has announced a complete lockdown to fight the novel coronavirus. Inter-state borders have been sealed for transport and people have been asked to step out of their homes only for essential needs.

Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy said public transport within the state and inter-state would be shut. The government itself will run with skeletal staff, with employees working in rotation basis. He also announced free ration to the poor and Rs 1,000 assistance per family.

"Situation is relatively better in AP, compared to other states," he told reporters in Amaravati, adding that six coronavirus cases had been reported so far in the state. Of the six patients, one has recovered and discharged from hospital, he added.

India’s stock exchanges will remain open despite a lockdown in Mumbai to curb spread of the coronavirus, Economic Affairs Secretary Atanu Chakraborty said in an interview.

There is no plan to curtail trading hours as of now, Chakraborty said.

Earlier, CNBC Awaaz TV channel reported that the government and the Securities and Exchange Board of India were mulling options, including shutting down bourses, as part of a government plan to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

A SEBI spokesman said markets will function at normal hours on Monday.

The Supreme Court will start hearing cases via video conferencing from Monday. The lawyers will address the court from a separate room from inside the court premises.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has announced that 15 districts in Uttar Pradesh would be under lockdown in the first phase till Wednesday.

The announcement came soon after the Centre and state governments decided to put under lockdown 75 districts where coronavirus cases have been reported.

"Fifteen districts in the state will be locked down in the first phase from Monday," Adityanath told reporters in Gorakhpur.

The districts where the lockdown has been enforced are Lucknow, Agra, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Ghaziabad, Varanasi, Allahabad, Kanpur, Aligarh, Moradabad, Lakhimpur Kheiri, Bareilly, Azamgarh, Meerut, Gorakhpur and Saharanpur.

Bihar has been placed under lockdown till March 31 but all essential services will be available, according to a statement from the Chief Minister's Office.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said the 14-hour 'Janta Curfew' is the beginning of a long battle against the coronavirus outbreak and the countrymen have proved that together they can defeat any challenge.

"Janta Curfew may end at 9:00 pm, but this does not mean we start celebrating," he tweeted. The self-imposed curfew should "not be considered as a success" as it is the "beginning of a long battle".

"Janta Curfew is beginning of a long battle. Today countrymen have told that we are capable, and once we decide we can take on any challenge together," he said.

Bihar has reported its first Covid-19 death as a 38-year-old man with travel history to Qatar died at All India Institute of Medical Sciences at Patna, where he was admitted after seeking treatment at Patna Medical College and Hospital and a hospital in Munger, a government official said.

Another woman, who is suspected to have come in contact with one of her Italy-returned relatives, has also tested positive in the city and is currently undergoing treatment at the hospital.

The deceased, a resident of Munger district, was admitted to the hospital on Friday with a kidney ailment, hospital superintendent CM Singh said.

Doctors noticed that he was also suffering from respiratory problems, following which his samples were sent to the Rajendra Memorial Research Institute in Patna. The man, who was on dialysis, died on Saturday, but his Covid-19 test results from RMRI came only on Sunday morning, Singh said.

The hospital superintendent also said that shortly after his death, the doctors handed over the body to the family members wrapped in a plastic bag.

Asked if his family members stand a chance of contracting the disease, he said, "A person can get infected only when another infected coronavirus patient coughs and sneezes... The transmission cannot happen from the dead body as it was handed over to the family in a plastic bag.

"I did not know that the deceased was Covid-19 positive at the time the body was handed over to his family." All doctors and nurses attending to suspected and confirmed novel coronavirus patients are taking precautionary measures, Singh said.

He, however, did not clarify if the family members of the 38-year-old man visited him during the course of treatment at the hospital.

The Nagaland government has announced an indefinite lockdown in the state from Sunday midnight in view of the coronavirus outbreak, officials said. The country is observing a 14-hour-long 'Janta Curfew' since 7:00 am.

Chief Secretary Temjen Toy said that though no positive Covid-19 cases have been reported in the state so far, the precautionary measure has been taken as per the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897.

"All shops and business establishments barring pharmacies, petrol pumps and grocery stores shall remain closed till further orders. All commercial passenger vehicles such as buses, taxis, autorickshaws or two-wheeler taxis shall remain off the roads," Toy said.

He said the movement of people has been restricted except for buying essential commodities or availing medical facilities. All entry points to Nagaland shall be sealed except for the movement of essential commodities, medical equipment and supplies, security forces and goods vehicles passing through the state.

Seven districts of Haryana, including Gurugram and Faridabad, were on Sunday put under lockdown by the state government to curb the coronavirus spread.

Five other districts that were put under lockdown are Sonipat, Panipat, Jhajjar, Rohtak and Panchkula, said Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, adding that the measure is being taken to prevent contagion.

The government has notified the lockdown in seven districts, he said, adding it will remain effective till March 31, he said. All essential and emergency services, however, will remain functional during the lockdown period, he said.

Delhi will be locked down in view of the growing coronavirus threat from 6:00 am on March 23, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said at a joint press conference with Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal on Sunday.

The lockdown will continue till 12:00 pm midnight on March 31, Kejriwal said.

During the lockdown, no public transport will operate and Delhi's borders will be sealed but essential services related to health, food, water and power supply will continue, he said. Dairies, grocery shops, chemists and petrol pumps will remain open but persons associated with essential services will be allowed to go to their destinations during the lockdown, he said.

"We know people will face difficulties, but lockdown is necessary to contain the spread of coronavirus," the chief minister said.

He also said six of the total cases reported in Delhi were locally transmitted.

Here’s the list of 75 Indian districts where only essential services will be operational from tomorrow till March 31.

People across the country stepped out in their balconies and terraces to show gratitude to those providing essential services amid the Janta Curfew.

India, at present, has the capacity to do about 10,000 Covid-19 tests in a day or about 50,000-70,000 tests in a week, health ministry officials said today. That compares with France conducting 10,000 tests per week, the U.K. 16,000 and Italy 52,000, the officials said.

"We have 111 govenrment labs (for testing), private labs are being roped in with strict criteria," Joint Health Secretary Lav Agarwal said. "Sixty private labs have reached out to us. Three have already received the approval."

"In the last one week we have tested 5,000 patients," he added.

On Likely Cure/Vaccine

According to ICMR's Director General Balram Bhargava, there are several medicines, several drug combinations that have been proposed for treatment of Covid-19, but how much they are effective is open to question.

"Several anti-viral drugs are available in the country," he said. "We are also into the process of procuring several more."

On Pricing Of Test Kits

According to the ICMR chief, pricing of test kits was never an issue for getting private labs on board. "We wanted to ensure safety of lab personnel and their handlers. We wanted to ensure that they had the full capacity for that."

On Dedicated Hospitals

States will have dedicated hospitals for Covid-19 patients, the health ministry officials said. "Based on our discussion and stock checking, we have advised all states to have one dedicated hospital for Covid-19. They have pledged to do that," they said.

The Delhi government has announced prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Constitution of India, in its efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus outbreak. The Delhi Metro too has been shut to prevent contagion. The moves comes two days after Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal barred all non-essential services in Delhi.

The Madhya Pradesh government has told all employees and officials in all its departments to work from home till March 31 in view of the coronavirus threat.

The order is not applicable to the departments providing essential and emergency services, like health, police, fire brigade, electricity supply and sanitation.

The order was issued by Additional Chief Secretary KK Singh.

The employees and officials have been asked to provide their details, including all the phone numbers and address to the department heads.

In a separate order, the school education department also asked the teachers to work from home.

Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. has shut down with immediate effect operations at its car plants in Manesar and Gurugram in Haryana, in view of the spreading coronavirus outbreak.

The R&D facility in Rohtak, Haryana, will also remain closed, the carmaker said in a statement. The duration of this shutdown will depend upon government policy.

The call for 'Janta Curfew' has been successful and shows that India is prepared to tackle any challenge, Lav Agarwal, joint secretary in the union health ministry said today.

"The central government has ordered complete lockdown in 75 districts where cases have been detected. Only essential services will operate till March 31," Agarwal said. “State governments can increase the list based on their assessment."

"Our biggest challenge now is how to break the chain of transmission,” Agarwal said, adding that the following steps are vital to prevent contagion:

• Stoppage of all but essential services is logical extension of the ‘Janta Curfew’.
• States to increase capacity to manage positive cases, as and when they happen.
• Every state should have dedicated earmarked facilities to manage Covid-19 cases.

“Isolation is key to stop the spread of virus and break the chain of transmission,” Balram Bhargava, director general at Indian Council of Medical Research, said.

The virus is not in the air, but transmits via droplets, he said. 80 percent of the infected will not even know if they have the virus, and will show symptoms such as viral or fever. Only the 5 percent needs to be admitted, Bhargava said.

According the ICMR chief, wherever a positive case or death is reported, the entire area is being asked to go under lockdown. “We are also trying new medicines, but the result is not substantial,” he said, adding that home quarantine and isolating those with recent travel history abroad would help.

The Uttarakhand government has imposed a lockdown till March 31 in the state to contain the spread of the coronavirus, officials said. Essential supplies like medicines, foodgrains, vegetables, etc., were kept out of the ambit of the lockdown, they added.

The lockdown was imposed on a day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for a countrywide 'Janta Curfew' evoked  a spontaneous response across the state with people staying at home and roads and marketplaces wearing a deserted look.

Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat had hinted at a lockdown earlier in the day.

"We can even deliver foodgrains and medicines at people's doorsteps if we have to impose a lockdown. The state government will soon take a decision about people who eke out a living from day to day. We will not let anyone go hungry," he had said.

Uttarakhand has reported three coronavirus cases so far. All of them are Indian Forest Service probationers from the Dehradun-based Forest Research Institute, who had recently returned from a study tour to Spain.

The Nationalist Congress Party has asked its members of parliament to not go back to Delhi and assist government agencies in their local areas to fight the coronavirus.

The Budget Session of Parliament is currently in progress and many MPs had returned to their respective constituencies during the weekend. The NCP is a partner in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra.

State Bank of India has set up a quick response team to ensure the safety of its employees amid the coronavirus outbreak.

For the safety of its customers, SBI has provided sanitisers and soaps across branches and thermal scanners at its bigger offices, sources said.

The bank has set up a helpline number manned by doctors and psychologists to assist staff and employees to deal with the coronavirus outbreak as well as stress and anxiety related to this, sources said. Staff from any part of the country can call the helpline.

The bank is also providing protective gear to its staff for their well-being.

The Chandigarh administration has announced a lockdown till March 31 in view of the fast-spreading coronavirus outbreak. Essential services will remain operational.

Maharashtra government has announced imposition of Section 144 of Constitution of India across all urban areas of the state, effective Monday morning.

Banks and the stock exchanges, however, will remain open.

“People should not get out of home after 9:00 pm (on Sunday). The next few days need to be handled with extreme caution,” Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said.

The day-long, countrywide Janta Curfew ends at 9:00 pm today.

The Tamil Nadu government has extended the ongoing Janta Curfew till 5:00 am on Monday, in the wake of the spreading coronavirus outbreak.

While the support of people, traders, industries and other sections of the society was visible on Sunday, the government acknowledged their "cooperation" and said the curfew scheduled to end at 9:00 pm "will continue till 5:00 am tomorrow considering people's welfare."

An official release said there was no bar to continuation of essential services and appealed to people to extend their full cooperation.

Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd. has decided to suspend manufacturing operations at its manufacturing plants in Maharashtra in order to ensure employee safety and contain the spread of coronavirus.

The company has three plants in the state—in Nagpur, Chakan (Pune) and Kandivali (Mumbai). None of these were operational on Sunday as well.

"We are carefully monitoring the rapidly evolving Covid-19 pandemic and will continue to take swift and appropriate action...across the nation," the company said. Meanwhile, all company offices across the country have already implemented work from home.

Several other measures, including the highest standards of hygiene and promoting social distancing at all offices and manufacturing locations, have been taken, M&M said.

The fourth person who tested positive for Covid-19 in West Bengal is in critical condition and has been put on ventilator, sources at a city hospital, where he is undergoing treatment, said.

The 57-year-old man, a resident of Dum Dum area in North 24 Parganas district, was diagnosed positive for Covid- 19 on Saturday. He was admitted to the hospital on March 16 with fever and dry cough.

"He is in critical condition and has been put on ventilator. Our doctors are trying their level best... He is under observation 24x7, a senior official of the private hospital said.

The man has acute respiratory distress syndrome, the official said.

"We are taking protective measures... The patient is currently in an ICU that has been specially set up for coronavirus cases," he added.

Family members, who have been placed under quarantine, said the patient had not travelled to any foreign country recently, following which police personnel visited his home for verification of the claim.

Initial investigations suggested that the man has a son who works abroad, but he has not visited home in the recent past, a source in the police department said.

The 'Janta Curfew' has received a good response in Gujarat as the entire state was in a self-imposed lockdown to fight the coronavirus even as Covid-19 cases rose to 18.

Streets were empty and shops and business establishments remained shut. Roads, railway stations and airports in the state's four major cities—Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara and Rajkot—wore a deserted look on Sunday morning.

People stayed indoors and hardly anybody was seen emerging from residential societies in Ahmedabad. All major roads in the city, like the SG Highway and SP Ring Road, were empty, as was the Kalupur fruit market which is usually crowded in the mornings.

Public transport services, including GSRTC buses, private buses, local civic-run buses BRTS in Ahmedabad, Surat and Rajkot remain closed.

Services of the Ahmedabad Metro were also suspended.

Th Gujarat government had on Saturday announced partial lockdown in Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara and Rajkot, directing that all non-essential shops and establishment will remain shut down till March 25.

The central and state governments have decided to announce a lockdown in 75 districts where coronavirus cases have been reported, officials said on Sunday.

It has also decided to suspend inter-state bus services till March 31, they said.

The decisions have been taken at a high-level meeting attended by chief secretaries of all states and the Cabinet Secretary and the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister.

State governments will issue orders allowing only essential services to operate in about 75 districts with confirmed Covid-19 cases or casualties.

Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Sunday said 90 health counters are now operational at the Delhi airport.

"We have a backlog of just about 500 passengers whom we should be able to clear in an hour. Passengers arriving on subsequent flights will also be screened within the same time frame," Puri said on Twitter.

After the Union Health Ministry announced that passengers from the U.K., the U.S. and Australia would also compulsorily undergo thermal screening, there was a turmoil at the Delhi airport on Saturday as passengers waited for hours to complete immigration and screening processes.

"It has been a difficult two days, but with 90 health counters operational for secondary screening of incoming passengers, things are back to normal," Puri said.

The Centre has announced that it will not allow any international flight to land in India from Sunday onwards for a period of one week.

All major towns in Sikkim wore a deserted look on Sunday as people stayed indoors following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call of observing 'Janta Curfew' in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

Vehicles remained largely off the roads in Gangtok, Deorali, Tadong, Rangpo, Mangan, Namchi and Jorethang, except those on emergency services. Shops and the business establishments, barring a few pharmacies and petrol pumps, too remained shut across the state as people joined the voluntary 14-hour curfew that began at 7:00 am.

India has suspended passenger train services across the country until March 31 as the government tries to curb the spread of the coronavirus outbreak.

The railways ministry said passenger rail will stop with immediate effect though freight services will continue, according to a statement on Sunday.

"However, a bare minimum suburban services and the Kolkata Metro Rail service will continue till March 22 midnight. Thereafter, these services will also be stopped till March 31 midnight," a spokesperson of the Indian Railways said.

A 31-year-old man in Greater Noida has tested positive for coronavirus, taking the total number of Covid-19 cases to six in Gautam Buddh Nagar, officials said today.

The man stays in Greater Noida’s Sector Alpha 1, which has been locked down by the administration for 48 hours to sanitise the area. All residents have been asked to stay indoors, the officials said.

"The man had returned from Dubai. He was tested on March 18 and the results came on Saturday evening, which turned out to be positive. He has been admitted at the Government Institute of Medical Sciences," Chief Medical Officer Anurag Bhargava said.

Earlier, four Noida residents from Sectors 78, 100, 74, 41 and one Delhi-based man had tested positive for coronavirus in Gautam Buddh Nagar, the officials said.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has directed a "complete lockdown" in the state, except for essential services, till March 31. All government offices, malls, factories, public transport, etc. will remain shut during the period.

Gehlot said his government is with the people of the state in these difficult times and appealed to the people to follow its decision and advisory. He has constituted a core group comprising top officials of various departments to take counter-measures against coronavirus’ spread.

As of Saturday evening, 25 people in Rajasthan have tested positive for Covid-19 and test reports of 40 others are awaited.

Streets of Kolkata wore an empty look and public places remained deserted on Sunday as the 'Janta Curfew' to counter the spread of the coronavirus began.

The usually bustling Esplanade, Dalhousie, airport and railway stations wore a deserted look as people stayed indoors to support the prime minister's call. Mostly those engaged in essential services were seen on the roads travelling to work.

The Eastern and South Eastern Railway have cancelled all mail/express trains originating from the two zones between 4:00 am and 10:00 pm on Sunday, but will run skeletal local train services on the day, officials had said on Saturday.

West Bengal has so far recorded four positive cases of Covid-19, forcing the state government to shut down restaurants, bars, night clubs, amusement parks, massage parlours, museums and zoos, till March 31.

1,000 people Arrive At Howrah From Mumbai By Special Train

Around 1,000 passengers arrived at Howrah in a special train from Mumbai on Sunday morning and were screened by medical officers of the West Bengal government there in view of the novel coronavirus outbreak, sources said.

The special train arrived at the New Complex of Howrah station at 7:22 am, sources said, adding that the passengers were cordoned off by RPF and GRP personnel.

The Punjab government has decided to enforce lockdown in the entire state till March 31 in the wake of the coronavirus threat. The state has so far reported 14 Covid-19 cases.

"Punjab government will enforce lockdown in the entire state till March 31,” a senior official told Press Trust of India in Chandigarh.

Eleven more persons tested positive for coronavirus in Punjab on Saturday, taking the total number of confirmed cases to 14 in the state.

Streets across Odisha wore a deserted look today as people largely remained indoors in view of the 'Janta Curfew' amid a spurt in Covid-19 cases in the country.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who extended support to the initiative, had on Saturday announced a near-total lockdown in five districts and eight prominent towns, including Puri, Rourkela and Jharsuguda, till March 29 to contain the spread of the disease.

Of the 3,200 foreign returnees to Odisha, more than 70 percent hailed from these districts and towns, he had said.

Adhering PM Modi’s call for 'Janta Curfew', all shops, eateries and market places, barring pharmacies and those selling essential items, remained closed in Odisha, sources said.

Only a few buses and autos will be plying on the roads till 9:00 p.m., they said.

Altogether, 46 local trains and 21 express, superfast and intercity trains have also been cancelled by the East Coast Railway on Sunday in view of the restrictions.

Odisha has recorded two cases of Covid-19 so far. Both the patients are undergoing treatment in separate hospitals of Bhubaneswar.

Curfew-like restrictions on the movement and assembly of people were imposed in Kashmir today as part of PM Modi's appeal to observe 'Janta curfew', even as the virtual lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus in the valley entered its fourth day.

Only government and essential services employees with valid ID cards and emergency cases were allowed to move.

“Strict curfew-like restrictions on movement and assembly of people were imposed across all districts of the Kashmir valley on Sunday morning,” officials said.

They said the deployment of security forces was strengthened and more barricades, including concertina wire, were put up at several places across the valley, including in the city here, to enforce the restrictions.

Kerala is under a complete lockdown and roads in Thiruvananthapuram and other parts wore a deserted look as the 'Janta Curfew' proposed by PM Modi to check the spread of coronavirus, was observed by the people.

The self-imposed curfew, was welcomed by the Left government in the state.

Barring a few vehicles, roads in major cities including the state capital and Ernakulam were empty. State-run transport buses were off the roads while Kochi Metro Rail also stopped its service along with private buses and the aut-rickshaws.

State Health Minister KK Shailaja said people must stay at home and avoid crowds while following the directions of the government to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

"It's important that people follow the directions of the health department. Strong action will be taken against those who fail to follow the instructions of the state government," Shailaja told reporters.

Fire department officials were seen spraying water mixed with disinfectant at many places in Thiruvananthapuram. Some of the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation offices across the state has also initiated cleaning of its premises.

People across the country stayed indoors, and streets wore a deserted look on Sunday in an unprecedented shutdown on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal for a 'Janta Curfew' to help check the spread of coronavirus.

As the 14-hour 'Janta Curfew' got underway at 7 a.m., people kept themselves indoors as part of the social distancing exercise to help stop the spread of the virus.

All markets and establishments except those dealing in essential goods and services are closed for the day. The 'Janta curfew' will end at 9 p.m.

(Images of deserted streets in Mumbai, as Indians observe Janta Curfew on Sunday, March 22, 2020. Photos: BloombergQuint)

Mumbai city recorded its second death from coronavirus on March 21, according to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. A 63-year-old male patient, who was being treated in a private hospital, died, the BMC said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday requested people to join the 'Janta Curfew' to make the fight against the coronavirus a success. Modi had proposed a 'Janta Curfew' on Sunday between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. as part of social distancing to check the spread of the deadly virus.

He said the steps to be taken now will help in the times to come. "Stay indoors and stay healthy," he added in this tweet.

In his address to the nation on Thursday, Modi while calling for "resolve and restraint" to fight the coronavirus had asked the countrymen to observe 'Janta Curfew' Sunday.

In a nearly 30-minute national broadcast, he asked people to stay indoors and work from home as much as possible while underscoring the dangers of the coronavirus, saying the world has never seen a crisis as grave as this.

In what could be the biggest social-distancing exercise in the world against the novel coronavirus outbreak, 1.3 billion Indians are set to observe a ‘Janta curfew’ today.

“We are a developing nation and for a country like us, this coronavirus crisis is not an ordinary thing,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Thursday evening in an address to the nation, noting that the pandemic had hit the Indian economy. He called for the day-long self-imposed curfew from 7:00 am to 9:00 pm on Sunday.

Several institutions, both public and private, have prepared themselves for the Janta curfew. Track latest news updates and developments on how the day is panning out here: