QUITO, April 11 (Xinhua) -- The Ecuadorian Ministry of Public Health reported 1,940 new cases and 14 more deaths from the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), bringing the total cases to 346,817 and the death toll to 12,370.
Another 4,923 deaths are considered to be COVID-19 related, but not verified, according to the ministry.
The provinces of Pichincha and Guayas have been the most affected by the pandemic, and registered 425 and 409 new infections, respectively, in the last 24 hours, said the ministry.
The capital city of Quito in the province of Pichincha remains the epicenter of the pandemic in Ecuador, with 111,174 infections, a situation that has pushed the hospital system to the limit.
The ministry said that of the total confirmed cases in the country, 298,604 patients have recovered from the disease.
The country has so far received 1.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines from different companies around the world for its national immunization program, which began on Jan. 21 and has prioritized frontline healthcare workers as well as older adults, police, members of the military and teachers.
According to the health ministry, as of Saturday, 274,160 people had received the first dose of vaccine and 183,300 had received both doses.
The Ecuadorian government has ordered 20 million doses of vaccines with the goal of inoculating 60 percent of the population, about 9 million people, to reduce the risk of contagion. Enditem
