Ecuador's VP Apologizes after Bodies Left on Streets Amid Coronavirus Fear
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Vice President of Ecuador Otto Sonnenholzner has apologized after dozens of bodies were seen on social media left on the streets of Guayaquil as the coronavirus ravages the horror-struck port city.
Videos have been published on social media by the residents showing abandoned bodies in the streets in the Latin American city worst hit by the pandemic.
Authorities collected at least 150 corpses from streets and homes earlier this week, but did not confirm how many of the dead were victims of the outbreak, France 24 reported.
"We have seen images that should never have happened and as your public servant, I apologize," said Sonnenholzer, who is heading the country's virus response, in a statement broadcast by local media on Saturday.
Ecuador had recorded nearly 3,500 confirmed COVID-19 cases as of Sunday, including 172 deaths.
The government has imposed a state of emergency and introduced a nightly curfew in an effort to contain the spread of the disease.
