1.7 billion told to stay home worldwide over virus

Published March 23, 2020
Police personnel ask shopowners to close their stores in a market area after the authorities imposed a lockdown as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 novel coronavirus in Siliguri on March 23, 2020. (Photo by Diptendu DUTTA / AFP) — AFP or licensors
Police personnel ask shopowners to close their stores in a market area after the authorities imposed a lockdown as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 novel coronavirus in Siliguri on March 23, 2020. (Photo by Diptendu DUTTA / AFP) — AFP or licensors

Some 1.7 billion people have been asked to stay home in over 50 countries and territories around the world as governments battle the coronavirus pandemic sweeping the globe, according to an AFP tally on Monday.

Some countries have imposed mandatory lockdown measures, while others have issued stay-at-home recommendations to stem the spread of the virus.

Lockdowns in parts of India alone have kept some 700 million people hemmed in, in the world's second-most populated nation.

Police personnel ask shop owners to close their stores in a market area after authorities imposed a lockdown as a preventive measure against the novel coronavirus in Siliguri, India, on March 23, 2020. — AFP
Police personnel ask shop owners to close their stores in a market area after authorities imposed a lockdown as a preventive measure against the novel coronavirus in Siliguri, India, on March 23, 2020. — AFP

At least 34 more countries and territories have also established mandatory lockdown measures ordering people to stay in their homes, accounting for some 659 million people.

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