The Federal Government on Monday restricted gatherings at worship centres and banned night clubs as parts of measures aimed at preventing the spread of devastating strains of COVID-19 into the country.

This new directive is to take effect by midnight of Tuesday, a member of the Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) on COVID-19, Dr Mukhtar Mohammed, declared.

Mohammed, who is the Head of Technical Secretariat of the PSC, made the announcement while briefing reporters on Monday in Abuja.

Access to government institutions would also be denied to anyone not wearing a face mask while government meetings and travels have been limited to the virtual platform.

The government has also directed that bars and nightclubs should remain closed and the nationwide curfew will be in force until further notice.

Nigeria has so far recorded 165,419 cases of the virus out of which 2,065 have died while 156,300 have been discharged.