COVID-19 Ecuador Update 12
22/June
As of yesterday, the governments 'official numbers' were:
50,640 confirmed cases (3 out of every 1,000 population) 7,095 deaths (14% of cases)
In the jungle areas, where we live and minister, the situation has gotten very bad. In the month of June, cases have doubled and sometimes tripled per province/region.
These provinces cover a lot of area/territory, but only one main capital city with a lot of people, several suburban towns, and a large number of native communities/villages. With the lack of hospitals, medicine, and tests, the results have been devastating in the jungle areas, and specifically in the indigenous population.
In the three provinces where we mostly minister, Napo, Pastaza and Morona Santiago, there is a total of about a 544,500 populace, and a government confirmed case rate of over 4 out of every thousand people. Most of the local governments claim that the actual amount of cases is at least twice that amount, citing lack of tests and ability to administer these tests to the outlying populace, whereas the indigenous authorities claim it could be as many as 5 times the number claimed.
What we do know is that because of lack of tests, medicine, hospital personnel, and overall infrastructure, many of the people locally are resorting to homemade remedies, which in some cases they claim work, and in others, they do not.
One example, in the province where we live, which has a population of 133,705 , there are 501 confirmed cases and at least 2,000 people that claim to have all of the symptoms, but are treating themselves with home remedies, rather than going to a hospital. In this province, we have two small hospitals, which between them have only 8 breathing machines, and several of the medical personnel themselves have become infected through contact with patients, through inadequate protective gear.
13/July
68,459 confirmed cases (4 out of every thousand of the countries population)
8340 covid-19 related deaths (over 12% mortality rate)
Most of the hospitals and health systems are struggling or collapsed...many in the jungle provinces are treating covid-19 symptoms with natural and home remedies, possibly doubling or more the actual number of people with the virus.
Economically the government is still struggling...many people havent worked for 4 months or more...hundreds of thousands have lost their jobs, and even those that still have a job must either work restricted hours or reduced pay.
Those that have the virus are locked up in quarantine, in some cases with police or community observation/guards on their houses.
Those that do recover are not allowed to work for another month, and have more.restrictions on them than the normal government restrictions.
The government still has a lot of control over what is being done, who works, etc ..there's a fine for going out without a mask, a curfew in place, laws regulating what days you can take your vehicle out...they have finally opened up churches in some areas, but no one who is in the susceptible age groups can attend (under twelve, over 60)...
We can only go out for specific reasons, go buy food, etc...and only one person per family...(this one's not always enforced, but we just went out as a family to the city to buy things for the first time in over 100 days...now that the busses are finally up and running...no one stopped us, but only I was allowed in most of the stores..)
They are slowly loosening these restrictions, opening up travel, and who gets to work. However, cases are starting to spike again, and some cities/provinces that have loosened their restrictions are contemplating going back to stricter control.
Through this all, there is a lot of need and concern!! Continue to pray for us as we and our ministry partners face these trying times, and continue to try and do what we can to spread God's word, and his love through the means that we are able to!
