coronavirus lockdown in India
On 24 March, the Government of India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered a nationwide lockdown for 21 days, limiting movement of the entire 1.3 billion population of India as a preventive measure against the 2020 coronavirus pandemic in India. It was ordered after a 14-hour voluntary public curfew on 22 March, followed by enforcement of a series of regulations in the country’s COVID-19 affected regions. The lockdown was placed when the number of confirmed positive coronavirus cases in India was approximately 500.
Observers state that the lockdown has slowed the growth rate of the pandemic by 6 April to a rate of doubling every six days, from a rate of doubling every three days earlier.
As the end of the lockdown period approached, state governments and other advisory committees recommended extending the lockdown. The governments of Odisha and Punjab extended the state lockdowns to 1 May. Maharashtra, Karnataka, West Bengal and Telangana followed suit.
On 14 April, Prime minister Narendra Modi extended the nationwide lockdown till 3 May, with a conditional relaxation after 20 April for the regions where the spread has been contained.
