MONTEVIDEO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th July, 2020) The Ecuadorian capital of Quito, which is facing a shortage in hospital beds over the coronavirus pandemic, has overcome the peak of the COVID-19 outbreak, Health Minister�Juan Carlos Zevallos Lopez told Sputnik.
"The situation in Quito is difficult because there is a high demand for [hospital] beds, but I think that the peak has already been overcome ... The worst is over, but one should be cautious, we are going through a difficult period," the minister said on late Wednesday.
The World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic on March 11. To date, more than 13.5 million people have been infected with the coronavirus worldwide, with over 582,000 fatalities, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Ecuador has registered 70,329 COVID-19 cases so far, with 5,158 fatalities.
