India has reported a sharp increase in total number of coronavirus or COVID-19 cases, which crossed the 200-mark this morning with nearly 30 fresh cases. Four people from Delhi, Karnataka, Punjab and Maharashtra have died in the last two weeks. The government banned landing of all international commercial passenger flights from March 22 for a week, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed to citizens to stay indoors and called for ''janata curfew'' on Sunday.
The fourth fatality in the country, the Union health ministry said, was an elderly from Punjab and had co-morbid conditions like diabetes, cardiac ailments. More than 20 fresh cases have been reported in last 24 hours with Chhattisgarh and Chandigarh reporting their first COVID-19 patients on early Thursday.
PM Modi, in a televised address yesterday, asked appealed to citizens to observe Sunday (March 22) as a test run for social distancing over the next few days to fight the spread of coronavirus. As part of the self-curfew, the Prime Minister said everyone must stay home from 7 am to 9 pm that day and abide by it.
"Under this Janata (public) curfew, no one should leave their home or gather in their neighbourhoods. Only those related to essential services should go out," said PM Modi.
India remains at Stage 2 of the outbreak, which means the spread is through local transmission, which can be traced. The health ministry said there is no evidence of community transmission yet, in which it is hard to tell how the patient contracted the virus.
Schools, colleges, theatres, malls and shopping areas have been shut down in large parts of the country. Religious gatherings and weddings have been put off.
