New Delhi, Mar 24 (IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced nationwide three weeks lockdown starting from Tuesday midnight. All states and union territories will come under its purview.

He said this is an essential step to fight coronavirus decisively. He added that saving lives is priority as of now.

"With folded hands, I request you to stay put wherever you are," said Prime Minister Modi. He added that he is mindful of the economic ramifications of it. However, this is a smaller concern.

PM Modi warned, if we don't follow a complete lockdown for the coming 21 days, the nation will go back 21 years and many families will be devastated.

He also said many powerful countries in the world have become helpless, regardless of their efforts. He once again reiterated that social distancing is the only way to deal with this deadly coronavirus that has infected more than 500 in India, so far.

"Some people are under the misconception that social distancing is only for those infected with coronavirus... but they should understand that this for everyone because it is important to break the cycle," said PM Modi in his address to the nation.

"Covid-19 took 67 days to spread to one lakh people. To reach two lakh people, it took 11 days.

"But it took only four days to reach another lakh taking the total spread to three lakh," Modi said pointing out the study by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic globally.
The Prime Minister said that when the coronavirus starts spreading, then it is "very tough" to stop.

"This is the reason why China, US, France, Spain, Germany, Italy, Iran and other countries where the Covid-19 spread, the situation went out of control," he said.

He said that experts say that if today any person has been infected with Covid-19, then it will take some days to show its symptom.

"The man with the Covid-19 then transmits that to number of other people. And according to the WHO reports, due to this pandemic, one person can transmit the disease to hundreds of people as it spreads like fire," Modi said.

Pointing out the better medical facilities in western countries, he said: "Remember that the health sector and health facilities in Italy and US are the best in the world and they are considered the best. Despite that they were unable to stop the spread of Covid-19. In this situation, there is no way to stop it."

Modi further highlighted that the only way to stop the spread of Covid-19 is the example of the countries who dealt with it and are now coming back on the track.

"Only those countries whose people followed the government orders, did not go out of their homes are coming out of it," he said, adding that thus we should also assume that the only option in front of us it that we not go out of the home.

This is his second address to the nation regarding coronavirus. In his first address he urged Indians to observe 'Janata Curfew'.