Ecuador: Nearly 800 bodies removed from homes in Guayaquil amid COVID-19

Ecuador said that police have removed around 800 bodies from homes in Guayaquil, the epicentre of the country’s coronavirus outbreak, after complaints of mishandling. Reports of abandoned bodies lying on the streets shocked the world last week which forced the President to announce an investigation in the management of bodies who died from the novel coronavirus.

Ecuador has reported over 7,400 confirmed cases of coronavirus with 333 deaths due to the infectious disease. The COVID-19 outbreak overwhelmed the health and emergency services of the Latin American nation and the funeral homes buckled under the pressure of handling so many bodies.

Pedro Pablo Duart, Governor of the province of Guayas, thanked Barcelona Sporting Club for donating coffins to help bury hundreds of deceased due to the health crisis. Jorge Wated, who has been leading a team of police and military personnel to control the situation, told Mayor Cynthia Viteri on Twitter that it is not the time for politics.

Inquiry into the management of bodies

On April 8, President Lenin Moreno announced an investigation into the management of bodies of people who died from coronavirus infection, especially in Guayaquil. The Ecuadorean President shared the letter on Twitter seeking an inquiry into the victims of COVID-19 disease after their families and friends bombarded the administration with complaints of mishandling.

Read: COVID-19: Ecuador President Launches Probe Into Mishandling Of Victims’ Bodies

Ecuador reported a sudden rise in the number of deaths and the backlog led to the bodies being stored in homes of relatives or were being refrigerated in shipping containers. However, Monero said that people who died, “deserve a goodbye with dignity”. According to media reports, country's Health Minister fired an official who asked for money in an exchange of handling of the coronavirus victim's body.

Read: Ecuador Stores COVID-19 Victims In Giant Refrigerated Containers As Morgues Get Full

According to the latest report, over 1.8 million coronavirus cases have been confirmed worldwide with more than 114,800 deaths, overwhelming the health care facilities across the globe. The United States, Italy, Spain and France are the worst-hit countries due to the pandemic with over 64 per cent of death toll reported from these four countries alone.

Read: In Coastal Ecuador City Families Wait With The Mounting Dead

Read: South Korea To Import 6 Lakh COVID-19 Testing Kits To US: Reports

(Image source: AP)