QUITO, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Ecuadoran Ministry of Health announced on Saturday that 870 new cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and 50 more deaths were registered in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases to 118,045, with 6,724 deaths.
The ministry also stated that another 3,752 deaths were likely caused by COVID-19, but these have yet to be confirmed.
Most of the infections are concentrated in the capital city of Quito, the current epicenter of the pandemic in the country, which has reported 22,460 cases.
Infections began to spike in the capital after June 3, when the quarantine was relaxed in order to reactivate the economy.
Due to this, there is currently a high demand for beds in public hospitals, but in recent days, the number of patients arriving for emergency services with mild symptoms of COVID-19 has decreased, according to authorities at the Ecuadoran Institute of Social Security.
The country's state of emergency, which began last March and has already been extended twice, will end on Sept. 13. For this reason, the government is urging citizens to strictly follow preventive health measures to avoid spreading the virus.
Since Sept. 1, curfew hours in Quito have been reduced, alcohol sales are now permitted, and shopping centers and restaurants may now operate at a capacity of up to 50 percent. Enditem
