21-day nationwide lockdown starting midnight: PM Modi

Modi, who on Tuesday said that the disease took only four days to infect another one lakh people across the world.

In a special address to the nation, Modi said: "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.

"Whatever happens we need to remain inside our homes. Social distancing is applicable for the Prime Minister and all citizens of the country. We can save ourselves from corona when we don't venture out of our homes.

"We have to stop its spread and break its chain," he said.

India is on the stage where today's action will decide how much we can stop the spread of this disaster, he said, and went on share an innovative poster from social media.

"Those who are inside their homes are informing people with the new innovative ideas. I am sharing the banner which I liked. Corona which means 'Koi road par na nikle," Modi said.

On Tuesday, the number of Covid-19 patients in India rose to 519 with 10 deaths.