Democratic Republic of Congo imposes curfew as coronavirus cases rise

The Democratic Republic of Congo is imposing stricter coronavirus measures as cases have soared.

The government said restrictions would start on Friday with a curfew from 21:00 to 05:00.

The communications minister also announced said schools would close earlier for the Christmas holidays and that there would be a ban on public gatherings of more than 10 people.

There will also be a ban on ceremonies before burials and sports competitions will continue without fans

The DRC has recorded just over 14,000 covid cases and over 350 deaths from the disease since the epidemic was officially declared in March.

But it has seen a steady increase in recent weeks.

On Wednesday, 345 new cases were declared, mostly in the capital Kinshasa.

On Monday, President Felix Tshisekedi said the second wave is caused mainly by the importation of cases from foreign countries and the relaxation of preventive measures.