Kabul: The two houses of the Afghan Parliament -- the Wolesi Jirga (lower house) and the Meshrano Jirga (upper house) -- have been put under lockdown until the end of the nationwide restrictions imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Wednesday, Parliament speaker Mir Rahman Rahmani said that warnings from the Ministry of Health indicate that Kabul will be facing severe situations in the coming weeks, reports TOLO News.

"Staffers from the secretariat who are civil servants do not need to work during the lockdown, in view of the sensitive situation that exists there," he said.

The development comes as Afghanistan has reported 1,939 confirmed coronavirus cases with 60 deaths since the outbreak was first reported in mid-February.

Also on Wednesday, health officials said that the pandemic in Afghanistan will peak "within next few weeks", as the country reported 120 new cases of the virus in the last 24 hours, said the TOLO News report.

"The positive cases are increasing day by day and we have critical weeks ahead," said Public Health Ministry spokesman Wahidullah Mayar.

The warning comes as people are seen moving freely again within the country's cities, including Kabul, and failing to take the limitations seriously.

The government has imposed daytime curfew in cities including Kabul since late March and extended for three more weeks last week, calling upon the citizens to stay at home (IANS)