QUITO, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Ecuador on Tuesday reported 642 new cases of infection and 39 more deaths from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the past 24 hours, as the country enters the post-lockdown stage of the pandemic.
According to the Ministry of Public Health, a total of 119,553 people have tested positive for COVID-19 since the onset of the outbreak, and 7,177 have died from the disease.
Another 3,786 deaths are believed to be COVID-19 related but have not been confirmed.
A nationwide state of emergency expired at midnight Sunday after six months, allowing the return to work in both the public and private sectors, though high-risk groups may keep working remotely from home.
Social gatherings of up to 25 people are also now allowed. Enditem
