Additional restriction on movement in Ulaanbaatar announced

Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/. Starting November 18, Wednesday, service hours of public transport in Ulaanbaatar have been reduced to operate from 07 AM until 10 AM as well as between 5 PM and 8 PM, and all nonessential transport and movement of people is prohibited outside of the allotted time. Around 10-15 percent of total employees of public and state-owned organizations can be present at their work place, and other nonessential employees and public companies are required to move to full-time remote working. Essential services workers using public transport during the permitted time must carry a work identification and permit from their employer proving their status. Residents are urged to stay at home and only to leave home if it is necessary, such as to buy groceries and medicines at stores near home, and are being told to adopt social distancing measures when they leave. Food distribution services are being regulated to hold their distribution to grocery stores and food retailers only at nighttime. Since the first cases of COVID-19 local transmission were detected, the nation went under 3-day lockdown on November 11, which was later extended until December 1 and only essential businesses and service are allowed to remain open, such as food stores and supermarkets, gas stations, hospitals, pharmacies, power stations, communications and media, and funeral services and all movement across the country is restricted as well. As informed by the State Emergency Commission, traffic volume had been significantly increased in the past few days, with average daily traffic volume of cars reached over 40,000. Therefore, Ulaanbaatar city officials have decided to tighten restrictions on the movement within the city to curb the spread of COVID-19. As of November 18, total confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Mongolia reached 455, and 30 of them are cases of community transmission, including 10 cases in Selenge aimag, 15 in Ulaanbaatar city, 4 in Darkhan-Uul aimag and one in Gobisumber aimag.