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They collect bodies in Guayaquil 2:51
(CNN Spanish) - The government of Ecuador will restrict circulation safeguards in response to the growing number of people in the country's public spaces amid an increasing number of coronavirus cases, announced the Minister of Government, María Paula Romo.
Romo noted that in recent days there has been a greater flow of people transiting on foot or in vehicles in Quito and Guayaquil, which he attributed to the "loss of meaning and misuse of safe passages" for the circulation of essential personnel.
In the last month alone, the government has issued two million safe-conducts throughout the territory, the minister said, to reveal that there is an investigation in progress for the illegal sale and management of safe-conducts.
Romo said that, in this scenario, as of this week, the government will invalidate all the issued safeguards, and that the new permits will be issued through an online system that will contain certain restrictions. Those who have misused a pass will not be able to obtain it again, the official said.
The minister noted that there has been a "large circulation of people", including families who go out to make purchases instead of appointing a single member of the household.
Government regulations state that a single member of the family must go out to buy essential things such as food, medicine, and other basic necessities. "It can't be that we have a whole family circulating," he added.
The goal of the restrictions is to "flatten the contagion curve," he said, and to this end he made a new appeal to collective consciousness and discipline.
According to data from the Government Ministry, there were 1,028 arrests and more than 16,000 people have been punished for the first time for failing to comply with the curfew and not respecting the traffic restriction according to the license plate number.
On April 16, Ecuador celebrated a month of state of emergency and curfew throughout the national territory, which includes the suspension of work, school and all non-essential activities.