ES News email The latest headlines in your inbox twice a day Monday - Friday plus breaking news updates Enter your email address Continue Please enter an email address Email address is invalid Fill out this field Email address is invalid You already have an account. Please log in Register with your social account or click here to log in I would like to receive lunchtime headlines Monday - Friday plus breaking news alerts, by email Update newsletter preferences

India is to go into total lockdown for 21 days in a bid to curb the spread of coronavirus.

The move marks the world's most extensive stay-at-home order yet, affecting 1.3 billion residents across the country.

Prime minister Narendra Modi said the extreme restrictions were necessary to "to save India" from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Announcing the historic measures in a televised address on Tuesday, Mr Modi said: "To save India and every Indian, there will be a total ban on venturing out of your homes."

The World on Coronavirus lockdown 45 show all The World on Coronavirus lockdown 1/45 Getty Images 2/45 A UK government public health campaign is displayed in Piccadilly Circus Reuters 3/45 Chinese paramilitary police and security officers wear face masks to protect against the spread of the new coronavirus as they stand guard outside an entrance to the Forbidden City in Beijing AP 4/45 A usually busy 42nd Street is seen nearly empty in New York AFP via Getty Images 5/45 Bondi Beach, Australia Getty Images 6/45 Military vehicles cross Westminster Bridge after members of the 101 Logistic Brigade delivered a consignment of medical masks to St Thomas' hospital Getty Images 7/45 View of the illuminated statue of Christ the Redeemer that reads "Thank you" as Archbishop of the city of Rio de Janeiro Dom Orani Tempesta performs a mass in honor of Act of Consecration of Brazil and tribute to medical workers amidst the Coronavirus (COVID - 19) pandemic Getty Images 8/45 Rome AFP via Getty Images 9/45 An Indian man paddles his bicycle in front of a mural depicting the globe covered in a mask, as India remains under an unprecedented lockdown over the highly contagious coronavirus Getty Images 10/45 Aerial view of the empty 9 de Julio avenue in Buenos Aires in Argentina AFP via Getty Images 11/45 A view of an empty Grand Canal Reuters 12/45 Las Ramblas, Barcelona, Spain Getty Images 13/45 Aerial view of the empty Central cemetery in Bogota, Columbia AFP via Getty Images 14/45 Miami, Florida AFP via Getty Images 15/45 The facade of the Palacio de Lopez (seat of the government palace) AFP via Getty Images 16/45 Aerial view of the empty Simon Bolivar park in Bogota AFP via Getty Images 17/45 An LAPD patrol car drives through Venice Beach Boardwalk AP 18/45 Venice Beach, California Getty Images 19/45 Los Angeles, California Getty Images 20/45 Surfers Paradise is seen empty in Australia Getty Images 21/45 Many shops stand shuttered on the Venice Beach boardwalk Getty Images 22/45 Empty escalators are seen at a deserted train station during morning rush hour after New South Wales began shutting down non-essential businesses Reuters 23/45 A nearly empty Times Square in New York AFP via Getty Images 24/45 Caracas AFP via Getty Images 25/45 Metropolitan Cathedral of San Salvador AFP via Getty Images 26/45 A general view of an unusually quiet Midland Park in Wellington, New Zealand Getty Images 27/45 A general view of an unusually quiet Civic Square at lunchtimein Wellington, New Zealand Getty Images 28/45 A policeman rides his motorcycle wearing a face mask in front of a closed shopping mall in Buenos Aires, Argentina AFP via Getty Images 29/45 Florida Keys AP 30/45 The historic Channel 2 Bridge closed to fishermen, bikers and pedestrians in Florida Keys AP 31/45 The Beach on Scenic Gulf Drive near Seascape Resort in south Walton County, Florida sits empty of tourists AP 32/45 Surfers Paradise is seen empty in Australia Getty Images 33/45 A deserted Rajpath leading to India Gate in New Delhi AFP via Getty Images 34/45 A general view is seen of a closed Luna Park in Sydney, Australia Getty Images 35/45 A general view is seen of a closed Luna Park in Sydney, Australia Getty Images 36/45 Empty roads are pictured following the lockdown by the government amid concerns about the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Kathmandu, Nepal Reuters 37/45 An empty New York Subway car i AFP via Getty Images 38/45 The empty pedestrian zone is seen in the city of Cologne, western Germany, AFP via Getty Images 39/45 Place de la Comedie in the city of Montpellier , southern France AFP via Getty Images 40/45 An empty street in Kuwait city AFP via Getty Images 41/45 A building is covered by the Portuguese message: "Coronavirus: take precaution" over empty streets in downtown Sao Paulo, Brazil, AP 42/45 A general view shows an empty street after a curfew was imposed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Reuters 43/45 Parliament of Canada is pictured with empty street during morning rush hour AFP via Getty Images 44/45 A near empty beach on Southend seafront in England PA 45/45 Near empty Keswick town centre in Cumbria, England PA 1/45 Getty Images 2/45 A UK government public health campaign is displayed in Piccadilly Circus Reuters 3/45 Chinese paramilitary police and security officers wear face masks to protect against the spread of the new coronavirus as they stand guard outside an entrance to the Forbidden City in Beijing AP 4/45 A usually busy 42nd Street is seen nearly empty in New York AFP via Getty Images 5/45 Bondi Beach, Australia Getty Images 6/45 Military vehicles cross Westminster Bridge after members of the 101 Logistic Brigade delivered a consignment of medical masks to St Thomas' hospital Getty Images 7/45 View of the illuminated statue of Christ the Redeemer that reads "Thank you" as Archbishop of the city of Rio de Janeiro Dom Orani Tempesta performs a mass in honor of Act of Consecration of Brazil and tribute to medical workers amidst the Coronavirus (COVID - 19) pandemic Getty Images 8/45 Rome AFP via Getty Images 9/45 An Indian man paddles his bicycle in front of a mural depicting the globe covered in a mask, as India remains under an unprecedented lockdown over the highly contagious coronavirus Getty Images 10/45 Aerial view of the empty 9 de Julio avenue in Buenos Aires in Argentina AFP via Getty Images 11/45 A view of an empty Grand Canal Reuters 12/45 Las Ramblas, Barcelona, Spain Getty Images 13/45 Aerial view of the empty Central cemetery in Bogota, Columbia AFP via Getty Images 14/45 Miami, Florida AFP via Getty Images 15/45 The facade of the Palacio de Lopez (seat of the government palace) AFP via Getty Images 16/45 Aerial view of the empty Simon Bolivar park in Bogota AFP via Getty Images 17/45 An LAPD patrol car drives through Venice Beach Boardwalk AP 18/45 Venice Beach, California Getty Images 19/45 Los Angeles, California Getty Images 20/45 Surfers Paradise is seen empty in Australia Getty Images 21/45 Many shops stand shuttered on the Venice Beach boardwalk Getty Images 22/45 Empty escalators are seen at a deserted train station during morning rush hour after New South Wales began shutting down non-essential businesses Reuters 23/45 A nearly empty Times Square in New York AFP via Getty Images 24/45 Caracas AFP via Getty Images 25/45 Metropolitan Cathedral of San Salvador AFP via Getty Images 26/45 A general view of an unusually quiet Midland Park in Wellington, New Zealand Getty Images 27/45 A general view of an unusually quiet Civic Square at lunchtimein Wellington, New Zealand Getty Images 28/45 A policeman rides his motorcycle wearing a face mask in front of a closed shopping mall in Buenos Aires, Argentina AFP via Getty Images 29/45 Florida Keys AP 30/45 The historic Channel 2 Bridge closed to fishermen, bikers and pedestrians in Florida Keys AP 31/45 The Beach on Scenic Gulf Drive near Seascape Resort in south Walton County, Florida sits empty of tourists AP 32/45 Surfers Paradise is seen empty in Australia Getty Images 33/45 A deserted Rajpath leading to India Gate in New Delhi AFP via Getty Images 34/45 A general view is seen of a closed Luna Park in Sydney, Australia Getty Images 35/45 A general view is seen of a closed Luna Park in Sydney, Australia Getty Images 36/45 Empty roads are pictured following the lockdown by the government amid concerns about the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Kathmandu, Nepal Reuters 37/45 An empty New York Subway car i AFP via Getty Images 38/45 The empty pedestrian zone is seen in the city of Cologne, western Germany, AFP via Getty Images 39/45 Place de la Comedie in the city of Montpellier , southern France AFP via Getty Images 40/45 An empty street in Kuwait city AFP via Getty Images 41/45 A building is covered by the Portuguese message: "Coronavirus: take precaution" over empty streets in downtown Sao Paulo, Brazil, AP 42/45 A general view shows an empty street after a curfew was imposed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Reuters 43/45 Parliament of Canada is pictured with empty street during morning rush hour AFP via Getty Images 44/45 A near empty beach on Southend seafront in England PA 45/45 Near empty Keswick town centre in Cumbria, England PA

Hear Jo Youle's report from India in this episode of The Leader podcast:

He added that if the public failed to comply with the rules over the 21-day period, would be "set back by 21 years".

Indian health officials have reported 469 cases of the virus and 10 deaths so far.

Around three-quarters of the country were under lockdown on Tuesday prior to Mr Modi's announcement, with trains and bus services suspended across different states.

The new nationwide measures are set to come into force at midnight local time.

It comes as researchers predict that more than a million people could be infected with the disease in the country within eight weeks.

A health official in the western state of Maharashtra said new cases were starting to appear in small towns after a first wave emerged in big cities like Mumbai, Al Jazeera reported.

"This trend is worrying as rural areas have limited infrastructure to deal with the outbreak," the official, who has not been identified, told the news site.

A team of scientists, based mainly in the US, have warned that India's tally of infections could surge to 1.3 million by mid-May if the virus continues to spread at its current rate.

"Even with the best-case scenarios, probably, you are in a very painful crisis," Bhramar Mukherjee, a professor of biostatistics and epidemiology at the University of Michigan, warned.