page_title: COVID-19 pandemic in Ecuador
section_title: March 2020
hierarchical_section_title: COVID-19 pandemic in Ecuador / Timeline / March 2020
caption_attribution_description: English: Quito, 16 de marzo 2020.- Presidente de la Asamblea Nacional, César Litardo mantuvo reunión con la Ministra de Salud, Catalina Andramuño y asambleístas de diferentes bancadas. Fotos: Alexander Moya / Asamblea Nacional
context_page_description: The COVID-19 pandemic in Ecuador is part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The virus was reported to have spread to Ecuador on 29 February 2020 when a woman in her 70s tested positive for the virus. Ecuador was described in April as emerging as a possible "epicentre" of the pandemic in Latin America, with the city of Guayaquil overwhelmed to the point where bodies were being left in the street. However, the country now ranks just seventh in the number of confirmed cases in South America, having been eclipsed by Brazil, Peru, Mexico, Colombia, Chile, and Argentina.
  As of April 2020, Ecuador has been distributing cardboard coffins due to the country's struggle in evacuating the dead bodies. The government built emergency cemeteries to dispose of the bodies which are left in the streets. The pandemic which led to a fall in oil prices had severe economic repercussions for the country.
  The number of deaths is believed to be significantly higher than the official figure due to a low rate of testing, with many thousands of excess deaths reported compared to the equivalent figure for a normal period.
context_section_description: On 1 March, Andramuño announced that 5 new cases of the coronavirus had been confirmed in Ecuador. On 4 March 3 new cases were announced by the Ministry of Health. The last report, according to the INSPI (Instituto Nacional de Investigación en Salud Pública, in English National Public Health Research Institute), confirmed a total of 14 positive cases.
  On 8 March, the Ministry of Health in Ecuador announced through social media a new case of the coronavirus in the country. According to the statement, the patient became infected from contact with the first case confirmed in the region. At this time there were 15 confirmed cases in the country.
  On 10 March, the Ministry of Health in Ecuador announced 2 new cases of the coronavirus in the country. These cases are in the provinces of Guayas and Los Ríos. One of the cases is related to the first case in the country, and the other is related to the first case in Paraguay.
  As of 13 March, 23 cases had been confirmed by the Government. There were cases reported in Pichincha (5), Guayas (8), and Los Rios(10). The Government suspended class attendance for students at all levels. Additionally, the first death (the first Ecuadorian infection case) was reported by the Minister of Public Health, Catalina Andramuño, during a press conference in Guayaquil.
  On 14 March, Ecuador's government announced the closure of its borders from 15 March to all foreign travelers due to the spread of the coronavirus, after local authorities confirmed a second death from the infection. Vice President Otto Sonnenholzner, in a televised statement, said all aerial, land and maritime transport into the Andean country will be prohibited. Ecuadorian citizens and foreigners with Ecuadorean residency had until the end of 16 March to return, he said. Ecuador at this point had confirmed 28 cases of the coronavirus, including two deaths, and authorities banned all public activities.
  On 15 March, 37 cases had been confirmed by the Government. Guayas had 19 cases, Los Rios 10 cases, Pichincha 6 cases, Sucumbios 1 case and Azuay 1 case.
  Citizens of Ecuador, El Salvador, Perú, and Chile were stranded at Benito Juárez International Airport in Mexico City on 16 March because of the virus. 58 cases of the coronavirus had been confirmed in Ecuador, including a new case in Manta, Manabi. Guayas Province had 38 infected, Los Ríos Province 10 infected, Pichincha Province 7 infected, Sucumbíos Province 1 case, Azuay Province 1 infected, and Manabi 1 case.
  On the morning of 17 March, the Ecuadorian government confirmed a total of 111 positive cases. The following day the Ecuadorian government confirmed a total of 155 positive cases. increased to 168 positive cases in the afternoon.  The number of confirmed cases increased daily, by the morning of 20 March, the number of confirmed cases had increased to 367, with 582 suspected cases, 5 deaths and 4 recoveries.
  On 21 March, the government confirmed 532 positive cases, 870 suspected cases, 7 deaths and 3 recovered. On that day the Ecuador's Minister of Public Health Catalina Andramuño resigned; in her letter of resignation she said that the government had not allocated any additional budget to her ministry for the COVID-19 emergency. She was replaced by Dr. Juan Carlos Zevallos.
  On 23 March, the Ecuadorian government reported 981 confirmed cases and 18 deaths. 
  On 24 March, the Ecuadorian police moved to dismantle open markets to limit large groups of people coming together. On the afternoon of 30 March, the new Minister of Public Health of Ecuador, Juan Carlos Zevallos announced that 54 people had recovered.
caption: President of the National Assembly of Ecuador César Litardo meeting with Minister of Health Catalina Andramuño who resigned a few days later
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