Ecuador urges public to comply with anti-pandemic measures

By:Xinhua
update:December 29,2020

QUITO, Dec.29,2020 -- Ecuadorian authorities on Monday called on the population to comply with the government's emergency measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 in holidays.

Government officials and members of the Emergency Operations Committee, which manages the health crisis nationwide, made the call during a virtual press conference.

A 30-day state of emergency declared on Dec. 21 imposed a nighttime curfew, banned the sale of alcohol and restricted mobility for a period of 15 days, in a bid to discourage Christmas and New Year revelry.

"The impact of the measures will not be seen now ... in mid-January we can make a more precise evaluation of the control of the measures," Minister of Health Juan Carlos Zevallos said.

"We want to avoid a catastrophe ... in January," Zevallos added.

Ecuador's Ministry of Health on Monday reported 403 new daily cases of novel coronavirus, raising the total caseload to 209,758.