QUITO, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Ecuador registered 446 new cases and six more deaths from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases to 209,274 and the death toll to 9,439, the Ministry of Health reported on Saturday.
The ministry stated that the number of "probable deaths" from COVID-19 remains at 4,551.
The province of Pichincha, where the capital of Quito is located, registered 118 new infections over the last day, for a total of 74,261 cases. Quito continues to be the epicenter of the virus in the country.
Faced with increasing infections in Quito and the city of Guayaquil, as well as crowding in public areas during the holiday season, the government decreed a new state of emergency on Dec. 21.
Under this fourth state of emergency, a curfew is in force from 10:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. local time for 15 days, the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages are prohibited, and restrictions have been applied on the circulation of vehicles throughout the country. Enditem
