Coronavirus: India begins 1-day curfew

Over a billion Indians remained indoors on Sunday during a one-day nationwide curfew as directed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

India’s Prime Minister had on Thursday called for the “Janata Curfew” (Public Curfew in Hindi) or self-imposed quarantine from 7 a.m. (0130 GMT) to 9 p.m. (1530 GMT) to break the chain of infections as positive cases topped 300.

Ahead of the curfew, he urged the citizens to cooperate with the government, saying; “Let us all be part of this curfew, which will add tremendous strength to the fight against the Covid-19 menace. The steps we take now will help us in the times to come. Stay indoors and stay healthy”.

The curfew, one of the biggest national exercises in the world, was necessitated amid worries of possible community transmissions in India.