The capital New Delhi and more than 80 cities and districts have shut down as India struggles to stem the spread of the pandemic. The Indian authorities have "placed" more than 80 cities and areas across the country under lockdown after coronavirus cases were discovered there.
“Regional governments will issue orders allowing only essential services to operate in about 75 districts with confirmed COVID-19 cases,” a Interior Ministry spokesman in New Delhi said Sunday. The isolation came during a 14-hour voluntary curfew that Prime Minister Narendra Modi said will test India's ability to fight the pandemic.
Modi said Monday that many citizens do not take the quarantine seriously. “Please save yourself, save your family, follow the instructions,” he said on Twitter.
New Delhi borders closed
The usually busy streets in the capital New Delhi and financial center Mumbai were deserted as many people stayed at home. An increasing number of territories, including the capital New Delhi, prohibit any activity other than the provision of basic services.
Authorities have banned gatherings of more than five people in several regions of India, including Maharashtra in the West, which has the highest number of cases. They warned of lawsuits against people violating the ban.
Globally, more than 300,000 people have been infected and the death toll has exceeded 14,000. New Delhi, with a population of nearly 20 million, will close its land borders on Monday morning. Stores and offices will also close until March 31st.
Indian Railways, which carries over 25 million passengers a day, canceled all passenger trains until March 31st. Incoming international flights have already been banned for a week, and schools, entertainment venues and attractions such as the famous Taj Mahal have been closed.
Factories, large industrial parks and banks have announced closings or found ways to minimize office contact.
India has reported 417 coronavirus cases, with seven fatalities, according to the latest data released by the media.
Lack of test equipment
Experts say the number of cases mirrors those in the early stages of an outbreak in other countries, which then showed very rapid growth.
Medical experts say a shortage of medical testing centers could hide the true extent of cases in India, which has a population of over 1.3 billion.
The number of confirmed cases in South Asia, including India, rose to 1,145, with 16 deaths reported. In Pakistan, nearly 800 people have been infected with the virus, and six of them have died, while in Bangladesh, two have died.
In Sri Lanka, police have arrested over 1,000 people for violating curfews. More than 80 cases of the disease have been registered in the country. Afghanistan, where 40 cases have been reported, reported its first death from the coronavirus on Sunday.
