AP PHOTOS: India’s virus lockdown slows the usual bustle
AP PHOTOS: India’s virus lockdown slows the usual bustle
FILE- In this April 11, 2020 file photo, Indian women stand in marked circles to maintain distance as they wait to receive face masks, gloves and hand sanitizers distributed by the Rapid Action Force (RAF) during lockdown to control the spread of the new coronavirus in Ahmedabad, India. India, a bustling country of 1.3 billion people, has slowed to an uncharacteristic crawl, transforming ordinary scenes of daily life into a surreal landscape. The country is now under what has been described as the world’s biggest lockdown, aimed at keeping the coronavirus from spreading and overwhelming the country’s enfeebled health care system. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki, File)
FILE- In this April 10, 2020 file photo, a lock is seen at the entrance gate of Jamia Masjid, the main mosque in Srinagar, during lockdown to check the spread of the new coronavirus in Indian controlled Kashmir. India, a bustling country of 1.3 billion people, has slowed to an uncharacteristic crawl, transforming ordinary scenes of daily life into a surreal landscape. The country is now under what has been described as the world’s biggest lockdown, aimed at keeping the coronavirus from spreading and overwhelming the country’s enfeebled health care system. (AP Photo/ Dar Yasin, File)
FILE- In this April 7, 2020 file photo, an Indian paramilitary soldier stops people on a scooter during lockdown in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir. India, a bustling country of 1.3 billion people, has slowed to an uncharacteristic crawl, transforming ordinary scenes of daily life into a surreal landscape. The country is now under what has been described as the world’s biggest lockdown, aimed at keeping the coronavirus from spreading and overwhelming the country’s enfeebled health care system. (AP Photo/ Dar Yasin, File)
FILE- In this April 6, 2020 file photo, Indians queue up outside a bank to withdraw relief money deposited into their accounts by the government during lockdown to prevent the spread of new coronavirus in Hyderabad, India. India, a bustling country of 1.3 billion people, has slowed to an uncharacteristic crawl, transforming ordinary scenes of daily life into a surreal landscape. The country is now under what has been described as the world’s biggest lockdown, aimed at keeping the coronavirus from spreading and overwhelming the country’s enfeebled health care system. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A, File)
FILE- In this April 2, 2020 file photo, Indian policeman wearing virus themed helmets ride on horses during an awareness rally aimed at preventing the spread of new coronavirus in Hyderabad, India. India, a bustling country of 1.3 billion people, has slowed to an uncharacteristic crawl, transforming ordinary scenes of daily life into a surreal landscape. The country is now under what has been described as the world’s biggest lockdown, aimed at keeping the coronavirus from spreading and overwhelming the country’s enfeebled health care system. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A, File)
FILE- In this April 7, 2020 file photo, local volunteers stand guard to prevent outsiders from entering their locality during lockdown in Jammu, India. India, a bustling country of 1.3 billion people, has slowed to an uncharacteristic crawl, transforming ordinary scenes of daily life into a surreal landscape. The country is now under what has been described as the world’s biggest lockdown, aimed at keeping the coronavirus from spreading and overwhelming the country’s enfeebled health care system. (AP Photo/Channi Anand, File)
FILE- In this April 7, 2020 file photo, migrant workers from other states and the homeless eat dinner at a shelter set up at a mall during lockdown to prevent the spread of new coronavirus in Ahmedabad, India. India, a bustling country of 1.3 billion people, has slowed to an uncharacteristic crawl, transforming ordinary scenes of daily life into a surreal landscape. The country is now under what has been described as the world’s biggest lockdown, aimed at keeping the coronavirus from spreading and overwhelming the country’s enfeebled health care system. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki, File)
FILE- In this April 6, 2020 file photo, a homeless child tries to fly a kite on the middle of a deserted road during a nation wide 21 day lockdown amid concerns over the spread of new coronavirus, in New Delhi, India. India, a bustling country of 1.3 billion people, has slowed to an uncharacteristic crawl, transforming ordinary scenes of daily life into a surreal landscape. The country is now under what has been described as the world’s biggest lockdown, aimed at keeping the coronavirus from spreading and overwhelming the country’s enfeebled health care system. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup, File)
FILE- In this April 8, 2020 file photo, roads are seen deserted during a lockdown to prevent the spread of new coronavirus in Prayagraj, India. India, a bustling country of 1.3 billion people, has slowed to an uncharacteristic crawl, transforming ordinary scenes of daily life into a surreal landscape. The country is now under what has been described as the world’s biggest lockdown, aimed at keeping the coronavirus from spreading and overwhelming the country’s enfeebled health care system. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh, File)
FILE- In this April 9, 2020 file photo, Indian paramilitary soldiers make a youth hold earlobes and squat as they punish him for venturing out during lockdown to prevent the spread of new coronavirus in Jammu, India. India, a bustling country of 1.3 billion people, has slowed to an uncharacteristic crawl, transforming ordinary scenes of daily life into a surreal landscape. The country is now under what has been described as the world’s biggest lockdown, aimed at keeping the coronavirus from spreading and overwhelming the country’s enfeebled health care system. (AP Photo/ Channi Anand, File)
FILE- In this April 4, 2020 file photo, a policeman asks a vegetable vendor to leave a market during lockdown to check the spread of the coronavirus, in Prayagraj, India. India, a bustling country of 1.3 billion people, has slowed to an uncharacteristic crawl, transforming ordinary scenes of daily life into a surreal landscape. The country is now under what has been described as the world’s biggest lockdown, aimed at keeping the coronavirus from spreading and overwhelming the country’s enfeebled health care system. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh, File)
FILE-In this April 3, 2020 file photo, impoverished Indians rest by their shanties at Dharavi, one of Asia’s largest slums, during lockdown to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in Mumbai, India. India, a bustling country of 1.3 billion people, has slowed to an uncharacteristic crawl, transforming ordinary scenes of daily life into a surreal landscape. The country is now under what has been described as the world’s biggest lockdown, aimed at keeping the coronavirus from spreading and overwhelming the country’s enfeebled health care system. (AP Photo/Rajanish Kakade, File)
FILE- In this April 6, 2020 file photo, a Kashmiri woman wearing protective mask watches through a window of her house as an Indian policeman makes markings for people to maintain social distance at a market in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir. India, a bustling country of 1.3 billion people, has slowed to an uncharacteristic crawl, transforming ordinary scenes of daily life into a surreal landscape. The country is now under what has been described as the world’s biggest lockdown, aimed at keeping the coronavirus from spreading and overwhelming the country’s enfeebled health care system. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan, File)
FILE-In this April 8, 2020 file photo, an Indian health worker checks the temperature of a woman during lockdown to prevent the spread of new coronavirus in Ahmedabad, India. India, a bustling country of 1.3 billion people, has slowed to an uncharacteristic crawl, transforming ordinary scenes of daily life into a surreal landscape. The country is now under what has been described as the world’s biggest lockdown, aimed at keeping the coronavirus from spreading and overwhelming the country’s enfeebled health care system. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki, File)
FILE- In this April 9, 2020 file photo, a migrant worker from another state looks through the window of his room in Dharavi, one of Asia’s largest slums, during lockdown to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus in Mumbai, India. India, a bustling country of 1.3 billion people, has slowed to an uncharacteristic crawl, transforming ordinary scenes of daily life into a surreal landscape. The country is now under what has been described as the world’s biggest lockdown, aimed at keeping the coronavirus from spreading and overwhelming the country’s enfeebled health care system.(AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool, File)
FILE- In this April 11, 2020 file photo, Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel patrol a street during lockdown to control the spread of the new coronavirus in Ahmedabad, India. India, a bustling country of 1.3 billion people, has slowed to an uncharacteristic crawl, transforming ordinary scenes of daily life into a surreal landscape. The country is now under what has been described as the world’s biggest lockdown, aimed at keeping the coronavirus from spreading and overwhelming the country’s enfeebled health care system. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki, File)
FILE- In this March 31, 2020 file photo, Indian medical officers inspect a quarantine center at the Sarusojai sports complex in Gauhati, India. India, a bustling country of 1.3 billion people, has slowed to an uncharacteristic crawl, transforming ordinary scenes of daily life into a surreal landscape. The country is now under what has been described as the world’s biggest lockdown, aimed at keeping the coronavirus from spreading and overwhelming the country’s enfeebled health care system. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath, File)
FILE- In this Tuesday, March 31, 2020, file photo, a migrant laborers, who was stopped while trying to head back to his hometown and are being quarantined, eats a meal at a government school in New Delhi, India. India, a bustling country of 1.3 billion people, has slowed to an uncharacteristic crawl, transforming ordinary scenes of daily life into a surreal landscape. The country is now under what has been described as the world’s biggest lockdown, aimed at keeping the coronavirus from spreading and overwhelming the country’s enfeebled health care system. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup, File)
FILE- In this April 11, 2020 file photo, Indian women stand in marked circles to maintain distance as they wait to receive face masks, gloves and hand sanitizers distributed by the Rapid Action Force (RAF) during lockdown to control the spread of the new coronavirus in Ahmedabad, India. India, a bustling country of 1.3 billion people, has slowed to an uncharacteristic crawl, transforming ordinary scenes of daily life into a surreal landscape. The country is now under what has been described as the world’s biggest lockdown, aimed at keeping the coronavirus from spreading and overwhelming the country’s enfeebled health care system. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki, File)
FILE- In this April 11, 2020 file photo, Indian women stand in marked circles to maintain distance as they wait to receive face masks, gloves and hand sanitizers distributed by the Rapid Action Force (RAF) during lockdown to control the spread of the new coronavirus in Ahmedabad, India. India, a bustling country of 1.3 billion people, has slowed to an uncharacteristic crawl, transforming ordinary scenes of daily life into a surreal landscape. The country is now under what has been described as the world’s biggest lockdown, aimed at keeping the coronavirus from spreading and overwhelming the country’s enfeebled health care system. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki, File)
FILE- In this April 10, 2020 file photo, a lock is seen at the entrance gate of Jamia Masjid, the main mosque in Srinagar, during lockdown to check the spread of the new coronavirus in Indian controlled Kashmir. India, a bustling country of 1.3 billion people, has slowed to an uncharacteristic crawl, transforming ordinary scenes of daily life into a surreal landscape. The country is now under what has been described as the world’s biggest lockdown, aimed at keeping the coronavirus from spreading and overwhelming the country’s enfeebled health care system. (AP Photo/ Dar Yasin, File)
FILE- In this April 10, 2020 file photo, a lock is seen at the entrance gate of Jamia Masjid, the main mosque in Srinagar, during lockdown to check the spread of the new coronavirus in Indian controlled Kashmir. India, a bustling country of 1.3 billion people, has slowed to an uncharacteristic crawl, transforming ordinary scenes of daily life into a surreal landscape. The country is now under what has been described as the world’s biggest lockdown, aimed at keeping the coronavirus from spreading and overwhelming the country’s enfeebled health care system. (AP Photo/ Dar Yasin, File)
FILE- In this April 7, 2020 file photo, an Indian paramilitary soldier stops people on a scooter during lockdown in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir. India, a bustling country of 1.3 billion people, has slowed to an uncharacteristic crawl, transforming ordinary scenes of daily life into a surreal landscape. The country is now under what has been described as the world’s biggest lockdown, aimed at keeping the coronavirus from spreading and overwhelming the country’s enfeebled health care system. (AP Photo/ Dar Yasin, File)
FILE- In this April 7, 2020 file photo, an Indian paramilitary soldier stops people on a scooter during lockdown in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir. India, a bustling country of 1.3 billion people, has slowed to an uncharacteristic crawl, transforming ordinary scenes of daily life into a surreal landscape. The country is now under what has been described as the world’s biggest lockdown, aimed at keeping the coronavirus from spreading and overwhelming the country’s enfeebled health care system. (AP Photo/ Dar Yasin, File)
FILE- In this April 6, 2020 file photo, Indians queue up outside a bank to withdraw relief money deposited into their accounts by the government during lockdown to prevent the spread of new coronavirus in Hyderabad, India. India, a bustling country of 1.3 billion people, has slowed to an uncharacteristic crawl, transforming ordinary scenes of daily life into a surreal landscape. The country is now under what has been described as the world’s biggest lockdown, aimed at keeping the coronavirus from spreading and overwhelming the country’s enfeebled health care system. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A, File)
FILE- In this April 6, 2020 file photo, Indians queue up outside a bank to withdraw relief money deposited into their accounts by the government during lockdown to prevent the spread of new coronavirus in Hyderabad, India. India, a bustling country of 1.3 billion people, has slowed to an uncharacteristic crawl, transforming ordinary scenes of daily life into a surreal landscape. The country is now under what has been described as the world’s biggest lockdown, aimed at keeping the coronavirus from spreading and overwhelming the country’s enfeebled health care system. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A, File)
FILE- In this April 2, 2020 file photo, Indian policeman wearing virus themed helmets ride on horses during an awareness rally aimed at preventing the spread of new coronavirus in Hyderabad, India. India, a bustling country of 1.3 billion people, has slowed to an uncharacteristic crawl, transforming ordinary scenes of daily life into a surreal landscape. The country is now under what has been described as the world’s biggest lockdown, aimed at keeping the coronavirus from spreading and overwhelming the country’s enfeebled health care system. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A, File)
FILE- In this April 2, 2020 file photo, Indian policeman wearing virus themed helmets ride on horses during an awareness rally aimed at preventing the spread of new coronavirus in Hyderabad, India. India, a bustling country of 1.3 billion people, has slowed to an uncharacteristic crawl, transforming ordinary scenes of daily life into a surreal landscape. The country is now under what has been described as the world’s biggest lockdown, aimed at keeping the coronavirus from spreading and overwhelming the country’s enfeebled health care system. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A, File)
FILE- In this April 7, 2020 file photo, local volunteers stand guard to prevent outsiders from entering their locality during lockdown in Jammu, India. India, a bustling country of 1.3 billion people, has slowed to an uncharacteristic crawl, transforming ordinary scenes of daily life into a surreal landscape. The country is now under what has been described as the world’s biggest lockdown, aimed at keeping the coronavirus from spreading and overwhelming the country’s enfeebled health care system. (AP Photo/Channi Anand, File)
FILE- In this April 7, 2020 file photo, local volunteers stand guard to prevent outsiders from entering their locality during lockdown in Jammu, India. India, a bustling country of 1.3 billion people, has slowed to an uncharacteristic crawl, transforming ordinary scenes of daily life into a surreal landscape. The country is now under what has been described as the world’s biggest lockdown, aimed at keeping the coronavirus from spreading and overwhelming the country’s enfeebled health care system. (AP Photo/Channi Anand, File)
FILE- In this April 7, 2020 file photo, migrant workers from other states and the homeless eat dinner at a shelter set up at a mall during lockdown to prevent the spread of new coronavirus in Ahmedabad, India. India, a bustling country of 1.3 billion people, has slowed to an uncharacteristic crawl, transforming ordinary scenes of daily life into a surreal landscape. The country is now under what has been described as the world’s biggest lockdown, aimed at keeping the coronavirus from spreading and overwhelming the country’s enfeebled health care system. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki, File)
FILE- In this April 7, 2020 file photo, migrant workers from other states and the homeless eat dinner at a shelter set up at a mall during lockdown to prevent the spread of new coronavirus in Ahmedabad, India. India, a bustling country of 1.3 billion people, has slowed to an uncharacteristic crawl, transforming ordinary scenes of daily life into a surreal landscape. The country is now under what has been described as the world’s biggest lockdown, aimed at keeping the coronavirus from spreading and overwhelming the country’s enfeebled health care system. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki, File)
FILE- In this April 6, 2020 file photo, a homeless child tries to fly a kite on the middle of a deserted road during a nation wide 21 day lockdown amid concerns over the spread of new coronavirus, in New Delhi, India. India, a bustling country of 1.3 billion people, has slowed to an uncharacteristic crawl, transforming ordinary scenes of daily life into a surreal landscape. The country is now under what has been described as the world’s biggest lockdown, aimed at keeping the coronavirus from spreading and overwhelming the country’s enfeebled health care system. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup, File)
FILE- In this April 6, 2020 file photo, a homeless child tries to fly a kite on the middle of a deserted road during a nation wide 21 day lockdown amid concerns over the spread of new coronavirus, in New Delhi, India. India, a bustling country of 1.3 billion people, has slowed to an uncharacteristic crawl, transforming ordinary scenes of daily life into a surreal landscape. The country is now under what has been described as the world’s biggest lockdown, aimed at keeping the coronavirus from spreading and overwhelming the country’s enfeebled health care system. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup, File)
FILE- In this April 8, 2020 file photo, roads are seen deserted during a lockdown to prevent the spread of new coronavirus in Prayagraj, India. India, a bustling country of 1.3 billion people, has slowed to an uncharacteristic crawl, transforming ordinary scenes of daily life into a surreal landscape. The country is now under what has been described as the world’s biggest lockdown, aimed at keeping the coronavirus from spreading and overwhelming the country’s enfeebled health care system. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh, File)
FILE- In this April 8, 2020 file photo, roads are seen deserted during a lockdown to prevent the spread of new coronavirus in Prayagraj, India. India, a bustling country of 1.3 billion people, has slowed to an uncharacteristic crawl, transforming ordinary scenes of daily life into a surreal landscape. The country is now under what has been described as the world’s biggest lockdown, aimed at keeping the coronavirus from spreading and overwhelming the country’s enfeebled health care system. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh, File)
FILE- In this April 9, 2020 file photo, Indian paramilitary soldiers make a youth hold earlobes and squat as they punish him for venturing out during lockdown to prevent the spread of new coronavirus in Jammu, India. India, a bustling country of 1.3 billion people, has slowed to an uncharacteristic crawl, transforming ordinary scenes of daily life into a surreal landscape. The country is now under what has been described as the world’s biggest lockdown, aimed at keeping the coronavirus from spreading and overwhelming the country’s enfeebled health care system. (AP Photo/ Channi Anand, File)
FILE- In this April 9, 2020 file photo, Indian paramilitary soldiers make a youth hold earlobes and squat as they punish him for venturing out during lockdown to prevent the spread of new coronavirus in Jammu, India. India, a bustling country of 1.3 billion people, has slowed to an uncharacteristic crawl, transforming ordinary scenes of daily life into a surreal landscape. The country is now under what has been described as the world’s biggest lockdown, aimed at keeping the coronavirus from spreading and overwhelming the country’s enfeebled health care system. (AP Photo/ Channi Anand, File)
FILE- In this April 4, 2020 file photo, a policeman asks a vegetable vendor to leave a market during lockdown to check the spread of the coronavirus, in Prayagraj, India. India, a bustling country of 1.3 billion people, has slowed to an uncharacteristic crawl, transforming ordinary scenes of daily life into a surreal landscape. The country is now under what has been described as the world’s biggest lockdown, aimed at keeping the coronavirus from spreading and overwhelming the country’s enfeebled health care system. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh, File)
FILE- In this April 4, 2020 file photo, a policeman asks a vegetable vendor to leave a market during lockdown to check the spread of the coronavirus, in Prayagraj, India. India, a bustling country of 1.3 billion people, has slowed to an uncharacteristic crawl, transforming ordinary scenes of daily life into a surreal landscape. The country is now under what has been described as the world’s biggest lockdown, aimed at keeping the coronavirus from spreading and overwhelming the country’s enfeebled health care system. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh, File)
FILE-In this April 3, 2020 file photo, impoverished Indians rest by their shanties at Dharavi, one of Asia’s largest slums, during lockdown to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in Mumbai, India. India, a bustling country of 1.3 billion people, has slowed to an uncharacteristic crawl, transforming ordinary scenes of daily life into a surreal landscape. The country is now under what has been described as the world’s biggest lockdown, aimed at keeping the coronavirus from spreading and overwhelming the country’s enfeebled health care system. (AP Photo/Rajanish Kakade, File)
FILE-In this April 3, 2020 file photo, impoverished Indians rest by their shanties at Dharavi, one of Asia’s largest slums, during lockdown to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in Mumbai, India. India, a bustling country of 1.3 billion people, has slowed to an uncharacteristic crawl, transforming ordinary scenes of daily life into a surreal landscape. The country is now under what has been described as the world’s biggest lockdown, aimed at keeping the coronavirus from spreading and overwhelming the country’s enfeebled health care system. (AP Photo/Rajanish Kakade, File)
FILE- In this April 6, 2020 file photo, a Kashmiri woman wearing protective mask watches through a window of her house as an Indian policeman makes markings for people to maintain social distance at a market in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir. India, a bustling country of 1.3 billion people, has slowed to an uncharacteristic crawl, transforming ordinary scenes of daily life into a surreal landscape. The country is now under what has been described as the world’s biggest lockdown, aimed at keeping the coronavirus from spreading and overwhelming the country’s enfeebled health care system. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan, File)
FILE- In this April 6, 2020 file photo, a Kashmiri woman wearing protective mask watches through a window of her house as an Indian policeman makes markings for people to maintain social distance at a market in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir. India, a bustling country of 1.3 billion people, has slowed to an uncharacteristic crawl, transforming ordinary scenes of daily life into a surreal landscape. The country is now under what has been described as the world’s biggest lockdown, aimed at keeping the coronavirus from spreading and overwhelming the country’s enfeebled health care system. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan, File)
FILE-In this April 8, 2020 file photo, an Indian health worker checks the temperature of a woman during lockdown to prevent the spread of new coronavirus in Ahmedabad, India. India, a bustling country of 1.3 billion people, has slowed to an uncharacteristic crawl, transforming ordinary scenes of daily life into a surreal landscape. The country is now under what has been described as the world’s biggest lockdown, aimed at keeping the coronavirus from spreading and overwhelming the country’s enfeebled health care system. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki, File)
FILE-In this April 8, 2020 file photo, an Indian health worker checks the temperature of a woman during lockdown to prevent the spread of new coronavirus in Ahmedabad, India. India, a bustling country of 1.3 billion people, has slowed to an uncharacteristic crawl, transforming ordinary scenes of daily life into a surreal landscape. The country is now under what has been described as the world’s biggest lockdown, aimed at keeping the coronavirus from spreading and overwhelming the country’s enfeebled health care system. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki, File)
FILE- In this April 9, 2020 file photo, a migrant worker from another state looks through the window of his room in Dharavi, one of Asia’s largest slums, during lockdown to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus in Mumbai, India. India, a bustling country of 1.3 billion people, has slowed to an uncharacteristic crawl, transforming ordinary scenes of daily life into a surreal landscape. The country is now under what has been described as the world’s biggest lockdown, aimed at keeping the coronavirus from spreading and overwhelming the country’s enfeebled health care system.(AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool, File)
FILE- In this April 9, 2020 file photo, a migrant worker from another state looks through the window of his room in Dharavi, one of Asia’s largest slums, during lockdown to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus in Mumbai, India. India, a bustling country of 1.3 billion people, has slowed to an uncharacteristic crawl, transforming ordinary scenes of daily life into a surreal landscape. The country is now under what has been described as the world’s biggest lockdown, aimed at keeping the coronavirus from spreading and overwhelming the country’s enfeebled health care system.(AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool, File)
FILE- In this April 11, 2020 file photo, Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel patrol a street during lockdown to control the spread of the new coronavirus in Ahmedabad, India. India, a bustling country of 1.3 billion people, has slowed to an uncharacteristic crawl, transforming ordinary scenes of daily life into a surreal landscape. The country is now under what has been described as the world’s biggest lockdown, aimed at keeping the coronavirus from spreading and overwhelming the country’s enfeebled health care system. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki, File)
FILE- In this April 11, 2020 file photo, Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel patrol a street during lockdown to control the spread of the new coronavirus in Ahmedabad, India. India, a bustling country of 1.3 billion people, has slowed to an uncharacteristic crawl, transforming ordinary scenes of daily life into a surreal landscape. The country is now under what has been described as the world’s biggest lockdown, aimed at keeping the coronavirus from spreading and overwhelming the country’s enfeebled health care system. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki, File)
FILE- In this March 31, 2020 file photo, Indian medical officers inspect a quarantine center at the Sarusojai sports complex in Gauhati, India. India, a bustling country of 1.3 billion people, has slowed to an uncharacteristic crawl, transforming ordinary scenes of daily life into a surreal landscape. The country is now under what has been described as the world’s biggest lockdown, aimed at keeping the coronavirus from spreading and overwhelming the country’s enfeebled health care system. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath, File)
FILE- In this March 31, 2020 file photo, Indian medical officers inspect a quarantine center at the Sarusojai sports complex in Gauhati, India. India, a bustling country of 1.3 billion people, has slowed to an uncharacteristic crawl, transforming ordinary scenes of daily life into a surreal landscape. The country is now under what has been described as the world’s biggest lockdown, aimed at keeping the coronavirus from spreading and overwhelming the country’s enfeebled health care system. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath, File)
FILE- In this Tuesday, March 31, 2020, file photo, a migrant laborers, who was stopped while trying to head back to his hometown and are being quarantined, eats a meal at a government school in New Delhi, India. India, a bustling country of 1.3 billion people, has slowed to an uncharacteristic crawl, transforming ordinary scenes of daily life into a surreal landscape. The country is now under what has been described as the world’s biggest lockdown, aimed at keeping the coronavirus from spreading and overwhelming the country’s enfeebled health care system. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup, File)
FILE- In this Tuesday, March 31, 2020, file photo, a migrant laborers, who was stopped while trying to head back to his hometown and are being quarantined, eats a meal at a government school in New Delhi, India. India, a bustling country of 1.3 billion people, has slowed to an uncharacteristic crawl, transforming ordinary scenes of daily life into a surreal landscape. The country is now under what has been described as the world’s biggest lockdown, aimed at keeping the coronavirus from spreading and overwhelming the country’s enfeebled health care system. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup, File)
NEW DELHI (AP) — Highways that once pulsated with traffic are eerily silent. Big cities normally filled with dense crowds are wide open, with public spaces out of bounds. Those hunkered down at home peer out from their windows and balconies, while police patrol the streets.
India, a bustling country of 1.3 billion people, has slowed to an uncharacteristic crawl, transforming ordinary scenes of daily life into a surreal landscape.
The nation is now under what has been described as the world’s biggest lockdown, aimed at keeping the coronavirus from spreading and overwhelming India’s enfeebled health care system.
Health officials have confirmed more than 9,100 cases of the virus, including at least 308 deaths.
The hastily announced lockdown that started on March 25 has left millions out of work, disrupted big and small businesses, and forced an exodus of hungry and jobless migrant workers from the cities who had to walk hundreds of miles to their native villages.
Untold numbers are now out of work, and many families have been left struggling to eat. Everything but essential services are shuttered. Trains and air travel remain suspended.
Authorities have identified and sealed dozens of residential neighborhoods in New Delhi, India’s capital, and other parts of the country to check the rising virus cases. Authorities in many states have also made it compulsory for people to wear face masks when stepping outdoors.
Some neighborhoods have taken it upon themselves to set up checkpoints and makeshift barricades, prepared to turn away those who they suspect had traveled from infected zones.
The three-week lockdown expires on Tuesday, but many states have already extended it until April 30. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to announce details of the second phase on Tuesday.
The next phase of the lockdown is expected to be more relaxed, with authorities considering resuming some manufacturing and services with restrictions to kick-start the struggling economy and avoid more job losses.