'UB still at high risk': Lockdown won't end until December 11

The government has decided to extend the strict lockdown in Ulaanbaatar and two other provinces as the coronavirus threat remains high..

Authorities are concerned about the threat of local transmission in UB. (Credit: Anand Tumurtogoo)

UB, Selenge and Arkhangai provinces will remain under the 'all-out preparedness' regime until 6 am on December 11.

The lockdown was originally supposed to end tomorrow.

There will be some changes: some export-related manufacturing activities will be allowed to restart, as will post services, courts, funerals, banks, energy, and media.

The government has decided to extend the strict lockdown in Ulaanbaatar and two other provinces as the coronavirus threat remain high.

Domestic passenger movement will remain limited and no charter flights will be arriving in Mongolia due to space shortages at isolation facilities.

The good news is that researchers believe the strict lockdown has decreased the spread of coronavirus by a factor of 10; over 3000 people may have been infected if the lockdown wasn't brought in.

Mongolia has used a combination of strict lockdowns and extensive testing to get a grip on the first cases of local transmission in the country, which is thought to have been brought from Russia and spread along the main railway line.

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