ULAN BATOR, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia is restricting traffic in the capital city and all 21 provinces until March 16 after the country reported its first case of COVID-19, the State Emergency Commission (SEC) said on Tuesday.

"The capital Ulan Bator and all 21 provinces need to be quarantined from Tuesday until March 16 to curb the outbreak. In other words, any vehicle such as cars and trains are not allowed to enter or leave the capital or rural cities until next Monday," the SEC said in a statement.

The move came after a French national tested positive for the novel coronavirus, becoming the first confirmed COVID-19 case in Mongolia.