Police in Kabul are taking increasingly strong measures to enforce a lockdown restricting the movement of citizens, as COVID-19 cases increase in the country.

Police have set up checkpoints in various parts of Kabul, and the Interior Ministry says security forces have been ordered to prevent anyone without authorization from making any non-essential movement within the city.

According to the ministry, 1,600 police and 400 police vehicles have been deployed to carry out the restrictions imposed in Kabul.

Kabul has been in lockdown for the past 10 days, and the Interior Ministry has urged people not to leave their homes unless it is essential.

The ministry has warned that those who leave their homes "without an urgent reason" will face legal consequences.

"For the past two days, the restrictions in Kabul have intensified, and the reason is that, unfortunately, we are not moving towards good days, and this restriction must be obeyed,” said Tariq Arian, the Interior Ministry spokesman.

At the same time, government and private institutions in Kabul are trying to prevent further outbreaks of coronavirus by spraying disinfectant around different parts of the city.

The Bayat Foundation, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, disinfected parts of Kabul today.

“Disinfecting the city is very important. Disinfecting eliminates harmful germs in our society and the environment. we also distribute leaflets to people so they are aware of the coronavirus,” said Kanishka Turkistani, head of the environmental office of the Health Ministry.

So far, 484 positive coronavirus cases have been reported in Afghanistan, and 15 people have died of the virus.