Early curfew, liquor sales restrictions end but could be reinstated; Private schools are closing

The additional Covid-19 health emergency restrictions ordered July 29 by the national Emergency Operations Committee (COE) expired Wednesday but it’s unclear if they will be reinstated or if new rules will be applied.

The Escuela Las Cumbres and Los Andes in Cuenca is closing permanently, according to administrators.

For cantons under yellow light conditions, including Cuenca and Quito, the July 29 order imposed a 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew for week days and a 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew for the weekend, prohibited gatherings of more than 25 and banned liquor sales after 7 p.m. on weekends.

In the original mandate, the COE said the restrictions could be extended or changed after August 12. It applied to cantons in 10 provinces of the Sierra, six of the Amazon and two of the Coast.

Private schools shut down
Although the Ministry of Ecuador has not issued a statement, dozens of private schools in Ecuador have told parents and students that they will not reopen in September, several saying they are closing permanently. School owners and administrators say closures ordered by the Covid-19 pandemic as well as a government decree that private schools reduce tuition are the reason for the closure.

In Cuenca, only the Escuela Las Cumbres and Los Andes has publicly announced its closure but parents say at least a dozen other schools may soon send out closure notices.