QUITO, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Ecuador's Ministry of Public Health reported on Wednesday 2,333 new COVID-19 infections and 75 more deaths in the last day, for a total of 377,662 cases and 13,356 deaths.
Another 5,114 deaths are considered to be COVID-19 related, but not verified, according to the ministry.
The South American country is facing a rise in infections, with overcrowded hospitals and long waiting lists for intensive care unit beds.
The highest numbers of cases were reported in Pichincha province, where the capital Quito is located, with 1,187 cases, and the coastal province of Guayas, with 249 new infections.
In Quito, the epicenter of the pandemic in the country, intensive care unit bed occupancy is at 95 percent, while 168 patients are on a waiting list for a bed, according to the latest data from the Quito Health Secretariat.
Meanwhile, Pichincha and another 15 provinces have been under a state of emergency since April 23, decreed by the government to stop the increase in infections until May 20. The measure includes a nighttime curfew and total weekend lockdowns.
Amid these measures, the country continues its vaccination plan, with 765,489 people inoculated, of which 555,265 have received their first dose and 210,224 their second, according to official data. Enditem
