‘NOT AN ORDINARY THING’

Indian Prime Minister Urges Country’s 1.3 Billion Citizens to Stay Home Amid Coronavirus

“We are a developing nation and for a country like us, this corona crisis is not an ordinary thing,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Thursday in an address to the nation.

India’s prime minister on Thursday pleaded with the country’s 1.3 billion citizens to stay home amid the coronavirus pandemic after the government announced all international flights will be halted for a week. “We are a developing nation and for a country like us, this corona crisis is not an ordinary thing,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said during a Thursday address to the country. In addition to stating the virus may impact the country’s economy, Modi called for citizens to self-impose a day-long curfew on March 22. India’s federal government has previously asked companies and local authorities to enforce teleworking—with the exception of those in emergency services. To date, India has 173 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and four deaths.