Covid-19 cases continue to decline as monkeypox cases rise; Azuay, Cuenca lead in pox infections

The government says that the number of Covid-19 cases continues a three-week downward trend, dropping dramatically in the week ending August 21. At the same time, it says that cases of monkeypox increased from 20 to 35 in the last seven days.

Health Minister José Ruales, left, provided an update Tuesday on the Covid-19 pandemic and monkeypox cases.

“The Covid pandemic is, fortunately, in decline and we expect this to continue,” Minister of Health José Ruales reported at a Tuesday press conference. “New infections fell from 4,111 to 2,898 last week while we only had one death, a citizen of El Oro, as a result of the virus. Hospitalizations are dropping as well, especially those requiring intensive care.”

Juan Zapata, National Emergency Operations Committee president, said his office is considering further reductions of pandemic health restrictions and adjustments to protocols. “We continue to restore normalcy to all aspects of social and business life in the country,” he said. “We understand that Covid-19 is transitioning to less dangerous, endemic status and we will adjust health standards accordingly.”

In his report, Ruales said that monkeypox is a growing concern but one that doesn’t require public restrictions. “The number of cases will continue to increase but there is no free circulation of the virus, given the requirements for transmission. This is something we will need to live with, combating it with education and treatment as necessary.”

According to the Health Ministry, there have been 35 confirmed cases of monkeypox in the Ecuador, 11 of them in Azuay Province, 9 in Pichincha and 7 in Guayas. Among cities, Cuenca reports the most cases, with 8, Quito reports 4 and Guayaquil 3.