Team India captain Virat Kohli plead the people of India to follow the 21-day lockdown period seriously. Kohli posted a video on his Instagram account to request the people to handle the situation more maturely and obey the mandate of government to combat the coronavirus outbreak.
Kohli posted a one and a half minute video and wrote: "Please wake up to the reality and seriousness of the situation and take responsibility. The nation needs our support and honesty."
In the video, Kohli said: "Hello, I am Virat Kohli. Today I am speaking to you not as an India player, but as a citizen of the country. What I have seen in the last few days -- people moving in groups, not abiding by curfew rules, not following lockdown guidelines -- it shows that we are taking the fight very lightly. But this fight is not as easy as it looks or feels.
"I wish to request everyone to please maintain social distancing and follow it. Also we should follow the directives given by the government and just for once think how you would feel if due to your negligence someone in your family gets affected by the virus. Please follow the experts as they are working very hard. It will only be successful when we follow our duties rather than going out in groups and breaking rules. This for me is an act against the country's well-being. So now, I along with all of you wish to see things improve and please follow the directives of the government. Jai Hind!"
This is not the first time when Kohli asked people of India to follow 21-day lockdown, earlier he posted a video alongside his wife Anushka Sharma and urged everyone to stay at home. Kohli wrote: "These are testing times and we need to wake up to the seriousness of this situation. Please let us all follow what's been told to us and stand united please. It's a plea to everyone."
India Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Tuesday that a nationwide three-week lockdown starting from Tuesday midnight will be adhered to by all states and union territories.
He said this is an essential step to fight coronavirus decisively. He added that saving lives is priority as of now.
"With folded hands, I request you to stay put wherever you are," said Prime Minister Modi. He added that he is mindful of the economic ramifications of it. However, this is a smaller concern.
PM Modi warned, if we don't follow a complete lockdown for the coming 21 days, the nation will go back 21 years and many families will be devastated.
He also said many powerful countries in the world have become helpless, regardless of their efforts. He once again reiterated that social distancing is the only way to deal with this deadly coronavirus that has infected more than 500 in India, so far.
