The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)'s capital Kinshasa on Thursday evening announced a stay-at-home order, placing its over 11 million residents under lockdown for the next three weeks.

The drastic decision, which, however, will be implemented in intervals, is an effort to contain the spread of COVID-19 after the country registered four fatalities and 54 infections.

The country has also reported thee recoveries.

Movement restrictions will be effective Saturday with intervals on certain days.

"I decree intermittent total confinement of three weeks which will take effect from Saturday, March 28, 2020 and will continue on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, March 31," Kinshasa Governor, Getting Ngobila declared Thursday in a televised announcement.

Citizens will be allowed to go outdoors on designated days, for shopping and walk, after a period of 4 days in confinement, according to the official. The exemptions, he said, are to ensure health care and cater for other essential services.

Since the country reported its first case on March 10, the majority of the infections are now locally transmitted, posing a potential threat to the central African nation that still bleeds from the Ebola epidemic.

The capital's shutdown was announced two days after DR Congo President Felix Tshisekedi declared a state of emergency across the country.

The presidential order saw all borders shut to all non-essential traffic and placed Kinshasa into quarantine with a ban on all trips between the capital and the country's 25 provinces.

Due to delayed reaction to the novel coronavirus disease like in other countries, the virus has slipped from the Congolese capital.

According to the World Health Organization in DR Congo, one case was yesterday confirmed in the country's easternmost province of North Kivu, which shares borders with Rwanda.