The Latest: Mongolia restricts capital after 9 recent cases

BEIJING — Residents of Mongolia’s capital of Ulaanbaatar have been told to stay at home as part of nationwide lockdown measures due to remain in place through Tuesday following the detection of new coronavirus cases.

Residents of the city of 1.4 million will be permitted to leave for necessary errands, such as to purchase groceries and medications, the official Montsame news agency reported.

Social distancing measures must be maintained at all times when leaving home, and employees of hospitals and other essential facilities must show identification when commuting, the report said. Police and military personnel were being deployed to ensure compliance, it said.

Ulannbaatar confirmed two cases of community transmission on Nov. 9 and another in an outlying area on Thursday. Since then, another six relatives or others who came into close contact with those infected have also tested positive for COVID-19. Further contacts are being traced for additional testing.

A vast, but lightly populated nation landlocked between China and Russia, Mongolia has recorded just over 400 confirmed cases. No deaths from COVID-19 have been reported in Mongolia.

___

HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE VIRUS OUTBREAK:

— States ramp up for biggest vaccination drive in US history

— Virus ward doctor runs from dawn to dark in Italy

— Meatpacking plant worker who died from COVID-19 left legacy of compassion

— India’s festive mood ahead of Diwali raises fears of surge of coronavirus

— Follow AP’s coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak

___

HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS...