Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for a 14-hour "public curfew" across the country to stop the spread of the Corona • Closure will begin this Sunday

• Indian citizens watch Prime Minister Modi's speech // Photo: AP

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi today announced a general public curfew across India with the aim of curbing the spread of the Corona virus in the country.

The curfew, which will last for 14 hours, will take effect on Sunday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Modi added that the government may choose to extend the curfew, with vital workers such as the police, medical services and food messengers removed.

"For the last two months, millions of people have been working day and night in hospitals, airports and clinics, risking lives at the service of others. Brave, "Prime Minister Modi said.

Modi asked the public to cooperate with the curfew and asked: "If possible, I want every citizen to inform at least ten other citizens about the curfew and ways to prevent the spread of the corona."

The curfew proclaimed by the Government of India is the largest closure taken by any government in the world and is expected to encompass all citizens of the country numbering 1,326,000,000. In addition, Modi has declared full closure of Kashmir state, where ongoing conflict between separatists and the army has hampered the operations of medical teams.