ULAN BATOR, Nov. 14 – Mongolia confirmed eight more cases of COVID-19 on Saturday afternoon, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 424, according to the country’s health ministry.

Three of the latest eight confirmed cases are locally transmitted, which raised the number of locally transmitted COVID-19 cases in the country to 20, Dorj Narangerel, head of public relations and surveillance department of the health ministry, told a press conference.

Mongolia confirmed the first COVID-19 case of local transmission on Wednesday, involving a woman who is the wife of a 29-year-old infected Mongolian transport driver.

The driver returned home from Russia via Altanbulag border point and tested positive for the virus four days after he was released from the 21-day mandatory isolation on Nov. 6.

The Asian country imposed a nationwide lockdown effective from 6 a.m. on Thursday (2200 GMT Wednesday) to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The authorities are urging citizens to stay home and maintain good personal hygiene habits.