QUITO, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Ecuador's Ministry of Public Health reported on Wednesday that 1,519 new cases and 42 more deaths from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) were registered in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 110,549 and the death toll to 6,410.
The capital city of Quito in the Pichincha province has reported the majority of new cases, with a total of 20,853 infections as of Wednesday.
The Guayas province, former epicenter of the outbreak in the country, has the second highest number of cases, with 18,632 infections.
The country is preparing to enter a new stage on Sept. 12, where there will be no restrictions on mobility, transit, or gatherings.
To prepare for this next phase, a government campaign was also launched on Wednesday to promote co-responsibility in the fight against COVID-19.
"This is a new phase. Today we are at a time when contagion rates have dropped in 22 of the 24 provinces of the country and we have one of the lowest mortality rates in the region," said Minister of Health Juan Carlos Zevallos.
The minister clarified, however, that "this does not mean that the pandemic is over."
The country entered on June 1 a process of gradual social reopening after three months of quarantine in order to reactivate the economy, which has been severely damaged by the pandemic. Enditem
