Ecuador goes from red to yellow alert after reduction in coronavirus infections

The vast majority of the territory of Ecuador, which a week ago was declared on red alert, fell to yellow on Saturday due to a decrease in the level of infections from covid-19authorities reported.

The Minister of Health, Ximena Garzón, specified in a joint press conference that the number of cases throughout the country fell from a record 47,053 in the second epidemiological week of the year to 37,180 in the third.

“We had a very pronounced outbreak of covid cases starting on January 8,” Garzón said, adding that the peak was reached on the 16th, from when “We are seeing that there is a drop in cases.”

On January 16, Ecuador declared a red alert in 193 of its 221 cantons, including Quito and the port of Guayaquil (southwest), the most populous cities, and suspended classes.

The official specified that due to the reduction in cases, 179 cantons now appear in yellow, 29 in green and just 13 in red.

“We hope that this downward trend will continue in the next three weeks,” emphasized Garzón.

In the face of the pandemic, the authorities impose in the nation a capacity of 75% in public places for the green zones, 50% in yellow and 30% in red.

Since declaring the presence of the virus in its territory, in February 2020, Ecuador -with 17.7 million inhabitants- registers 664,664 cases (3,755 per 100,000 people) and 34,287 deaths.

With 34,287 deaths, Ecuador is the seventh Latin American nation with the most fatalities from covid-19, according to an AFP count based on official figures.

The South American country, which in December made the anticovid vaccine mandatory, is immunizing people aged five and older, who add up to 16.1 million of the 17.7 million inhabitants.

Until Saturday, the South American country has completed the inoculation scheme for 82% (13.2 million) of the vaccinable population. It has also given the first booster dose to 2.2 million people.

On January 3, the Ecuadorian government reduced the capacity of its institutions to 50%, resuming partial teleworking in the Executive branch.

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