Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his second address in a week on coronavirus crisis to the nation on Tuesday announced a 21 days strict complete lockdown in the entire nation, starting from midnight.

PM Modi further said it is in a way a curfew and would be more stringent that Janata Curfew.

“Forget about leaving home in the next 21 days. If you cross the Lakshman Rekha, you will invite the virus home,” PM warned citizens.

“We may have to pay a financial cost for this lockdown but it is important for the safety of people,” he said.

“The experts themselves have advised across the globe that the only effective way to fight the virus is social distancing,” PM said.

However, according to news agency ANI, all essential services to continue and remain functional. List of essential services remains unchanged since March 22^nd ‘Janata Curfew’.

PM Modi appreciated the involvement of citizens in the ‘Janata Curfew’ – imposed on Sunday to contain the novel coronavirus. PM further stressed on the need to tackle the deadly virus with urgency.

Emphasizing on the importance of ‘social distancing’ in such a grave situation, PM Modi said if citizens keep on being reluctant to practice social distancing, then a huge amount has to be paid.

“Lockdown has been imposed in many sections of the country, and has been observed that the nation was not following it with enthusiasm,” he said.

Showing a banner in which a message was encrypted in Hindi defining Corona as ‘Koi Road pe Na Nikale’ (No one should come out on streets), he said we really need to follow this message with full enthusiasm.

“If we are not able to manage the upcoming 21 days, we will be pushed back 21 years,” PM Modi added.

“This is applicable to everyone, even to Prime Minister,” he said.

“Social distancing is the only option to stay safe and to stop the coronavirus- stay at a distance from each other and stay inside your houses, he said in his second address to the nation,” PM said emphasizing the importance of social-distancing.

“We need to understand that we have only one way to tackle the deadly virus by not leaving our house. No matter what, we have to stay inside our house,” he said.

Praising people’s participation on the one-day ‘Janata Curfew’, PM Modi said it has shown that we can fight the coronavirus pandemic together.

PM further assured that the central, as well as state governments, are working with full dedication to fighting the battle against the deadly coronavirus.

“To make the day-to-day life unaffected, the government is working in this direction,” he added.

In his address, PM Modi showed trust in citizens in this lockdown by expressing hope that citizens will follow the government’s and local administration’s instructions.

“21 days lockdown is a long time, but in order to save you as well as your family’s lives, it is a very important step,” he said.

“The government has allocated Rs 15000 crore to make the treatment of coronavirus infected patients by strengthening the health infrastructure,” he said.

“This amount is for testing facilities, PPEs, ICUs, Ventilators and training medical workers,” he said.

The deadly virus has taken over 500 people in its grip in the nation with 9 deaths reported. Last week on Thursday, PM had advised a one-day unofficial lockdown to tackle the menace. This was definitely an experimental lockdown as today, PM Modi praising the people’s participation decided to convert it into a massive 21-day ‘strict official lockdown’.