India is to impose a nationwide lockdown in an attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced.

Axar.az reports that, the restrictions will apply from midnight local time (18:30 GMT) and will be enforced for 21 days.

"There will be a total ban on venturing out of your homes," Mr Modi said in a televised address.

India - which has a population of 1.3bn - joins a growing list of countries that have imposed similar measures.

Nearly 400,000 people have tested positive for the virus worldwide, and around 17,000 have died.

The new measures follow a sharp increase in cases in recent days. There have been 519 confirmed cases in India and 10 reported deaths.