CuencaHighLife

Ecuador is in lockdown mode following the addition of new rules and restrictions issued Sunday night to combat the coronavirus. In a televised address, President Lenín Moreno ordered strict controls on the movement of people and vehicles in the country as well as the closure of restaurants, cafes and bars. “We face the biggest health...

A 5.1 magnitude earthquake was recorded Sunday night at 10:53 east of San Lorenzo, just south of the Colombian border. The quake, which occurred at a depth of six kilometers, was felt strongly in San Lorenzo and Esmeraldas and moderately in Quito, Ibarra, Santo Domingo, Carchi. Ecuador’s risk management office said it has received no...

Ecuador has banned all international flights from entering the country and closed its ports and border crossings. The last flights bringing foreign travelers to the country must arrive by Sunday at 11:59 p.m. Flights carrying Ecuadorian citizens and legal foreign residents will be allowed in until 11:59 p.m. on Monday. Land borders will be closed...

Travelers entering Ecuador from the U.S. states of Massachusetts, California, New York and Washington have been added to the list of those who must undergo a 14-day quarantine. On Wednesday, the Ministry of Health had applied the order to travelers from China, Iran, Italy, Spain, France, South Korea and Japan under an emergency health declaration...

Minister of Health Catalina Andramuño reported Friday that Ecuador’s first confirmed coronavirus victim has died. The 71-year-old woman, whose name has been withheld, arrived in Guayaquil on a flight from Madrid on February 14. She was hospitalized on February 29, the day tests proved positive for the virus, and is believed to have infected 14...

The government announced dramatic new measures Thursday to slow the spread of the coronavirus in Ecuador, including closure of the country’s schools. According to interior minister María Paula Romo, the new measures are necessary to reduce person-to-person contact. “We understand that these actions are disruptive but we feel they must be made immediately to slow...

President Lenín Moreno declared a national health emergency Wednesday night, saying the action was in response to the elevation of the coronavirus to pandemic status by the World Health Organization (WHO). The declaration gives the government extra authority to take action it considers necessary to protect public health, including limiting the size of mass gatherings...