Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit on Wednesday appealed to the people of the state to follow Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for a three-week lockdown to fight the spread of the coronavirus in letter and spirit.

Stressing the need to stay at home to stem the spread of the deadly virus, he also said all essential services will be provided to the people by the state government. "The governor of Tamil Nadu has made an appeal to the people of Tamil Nadu to follow the instructions of the Prime Minister of 3 weeks lockdown in letter and spirit and stay at home," a Raj Bhavan release said.

People who are asked for home quarantine must follow it scrupulously, it said, adding social distancing of 1.5 metres should also be followed. "All essential services will be provided by the state government. It is a very very challenging situation. We can come victorious against the spread of coronavirus by staying at home and breaking the chain," the release said quoting the governor.

Purohit also appreciated the state government for taking many proactive steps on the matter.