Nigerian authorities in Lagos have announced a ban on public gatherings of more than 50 people in a bid to curb the spread of coronavirus.

“We are limiting gatherings and events to no more than 50 people and appropriate social distancing must be observed,” Lagos state governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu said on Twitter.

The state government said schools would also be shut from Monday.

Lagos is Africa’s biggest city, with a population of about 20 million.

Many of its residents are deeply religious with tens of thousands of worshippers packing mosques on Fridays and mega churches on Sundays.

Nigeria, Africa’s most-populous state, has reported eight cases of coronavirus – the first was that of an Italian who flew into Lagos.