The Democratic Republic of Congo has imposed an eight-hour curfew following a surge in new coronavirus (COVID-19) cases.
Jolino Makelele, DR Congo’s Minister of Communication and Media, announced the development in a statement on Wednesday, saying the restriction will commence on Friday.
He added that the curfew will be between 21:00hrs and 05:00hrs.
Other new measures announced by Makele include schools closing earlier for the Christmas holidays, a ban on ceremonies before burials, and a ban on public gatherings of more than 10 people.
The Central African country has seen a spike in the number of newly contaminated cases since the beginning of December, with an average of 100 new cases daily in the capital, Kinshasa.
The Health Ministry announced on Wednesday that a record of 333 people had tested positive the previous day.
More than 14,000 people have tested positive for coronavirus and more than 350 of those have died in the country since the was first reported in the country.