With hours to go for the Janta Curfew, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday appealed to the people of the country to stay where they are and desist from travelling from one place to another via trains and buses to help contain the spread of the coronavirus.

“I pray that the city you are in, please stay there for a few days. With this, all of us can stop the disease from spreading. We are playing with our health by crowding railway stations, bus stands. Please worry about yourself and your family, do not leave your house if it is not necessary,” the prime minister said in a tweet.

Advising people to isolate themselves in their own homes completely so that the risk of community transmission could be lessened, PM Modi said in a series of tweets, “Fearing Corona, many of my siblings are leaving the cities where they earn a living and are returning to their villages. Travelling in congestion increases the risk of its spread. Wherever you are going, it will also be a danger to people. Will also increase the difficulties of your village and family.”

This is the second time in the span of one week that the Prime Minister has appealed to the people to display restraint and avoid unnecessary travel. As the number of those infected with the coronavirus continued to rise on Saturday, many daily wage earners flocked to railway stations and bus stands to return to their native villages or hometowns.

Earlier on Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation for 30 minutes and announced a Janta Curfew from 7.00 am to 9.00 pm on Sunday, March 22. In an attempt to curb the spread of coronavirus in the country, people across India will observe isolation in their homes on Sunday. It is a move aimed at stopping any possibility of community transmission of the coronavirus. All citizens barring those working for essential services will be required to stay indoors.

Till date, Maharashtra has reported the highest number of coronavirus positive cases with the figure touching 52, including three foreigners. Kerala has the second highest number of cases at 40, including 7 foreign citizens. The total number of cases in India currently stands at 283.

HT