Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday addressed the nation in the midst of the Coronavirus outbreak which has affected over 2 lakh people and has claimed nearly 9,000 lives across the globe.

Although the ratio in India might look relatively good, Modi said that for a developing country like India, COVID-19 was not a situation like any other. He emphasised on the fact that every Indian needs to be aware and alert while fighting against COVID-19

In the speech which went on for around 30 minutes, Modi assured the nation that the supply of essential services won't be hampered.

He said this was the time when every Indian had to make a deep resolve of fighting the virus. "Resolution and restraint are very important in combat against this global epidemic. As citizens, people need to strengthen their resolve to follow the advisories issued by state and central governments to fight," he said.

After resolve comes restraint. He asked everyone to stay at home and exercize restraint while going out. He especially urged people over the age of 60 to not venture out of their homes for a few weeks.

In what could be considered as the most important part of the speech, he asked people across India to observe 'Janata curfew' on Sunday, March 22 which means that on that day, people are requested to stay home between 7 am to 9 pm in order to control the spread of the novel COVID-19.

He also asked everybody to call nearly 10 people everyday and tell them about the curfew. On the other hand, people who are working in the police, medical services, media, home delivery, fire fighting may not take part in the janata curfew.

He also requested the citizens to encourage the people working in essential services by standing at their doorways and clapping or banging utensils for five minutes at 5 pm on March 22nd.

Modi also urged economically comfortable people to be considerate towards their employees and domestic help. "Please take care of their health and do not deduct their salaries for this duration as they also need money to keep their families safe and buy medicines," the PM said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi added that in the midst of the situation, one must avoid going to the hospitals for routine checkups. "If you still need an urgent consult, try to get in touch with a family doctor or a doctor who might be a relative to get a consult over the phone. But do not go to hospitals as it will put pressure on the health care facilities," he said.

India crossed the 200 mark after there was a spike in cases in Maharashtra. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray also ordered a complete lockdown of the state on Friday.

In the most recent measure, no trains will be plying intercity during Janata curfew.