People gathered on balconies to bang plates for five minutes in a gesture of thanks to healthcare workersIndians took to balconies and doorsteps yesterday, banging plates and pans for five minutes in a gesture of thanks to healthcare workers as the country observed a one-day “people’s curfew” in an attempt to tackle the coronavirus outbreak. Beyond this symbolic gesture of unity, ordered by the prime minister, Narendra Modi, India’s response to the pandemic is showing signs of fraying, amid fears of looming catastrophe in the world’s second-most-populous nation, home to 1.3 billion people. Defying predictions the country could face 300 million infections by the summer, several Indians have absconded from quarantine, confounding efforts to contain the outbreak. At least 15 people escaped from hospitals in the western state of Maharashtra. Another woman fled quarantine in Bangalore, appalled at the sight of the

Source: The Times March 22, 2020 18:00 UTC