India announces nationwide lockdown to stop spread of coronavirus

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Tuesday that the entire country will be locked down for three weeks beginning at midnight in an effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

Why it matters: With 1.3 billion people, India is the second-most populated country in the world. India currently has 519 confirmed cases.

Between the lines: Modi hopes to avoid a crisis on the scale of China’s or Europe’s, but his new measures will have a massive economic cost. Continue reading.