Authorities in the city of Guayaquil, Ecuador have started distributing door-to-door rapid tests for residents, said mayor Cynthia Viteri.
Guayaquil is one Ecuador’s hardest hit cities by the coronavirus outbreak.
Some 1,600 tests will be distributed to residents by doctors and the National Police on Thursday and Friday, Viteri announced on Twitter.
She said information collected from the tests will be used “to make the right decisions for the well-being of the city” and to help save lives.
Government officials also took to the Guayaquil streets on Thursday to distribute 4,000 food and sanitation kits.
Earlier this month, Viteri posted a video on Twitter begging the national government to provide assistance, describing the situation in Guayaquil as “worrisome” due to lack of available hospital beds and space in morgues.
Ecuador has reported at least 24,934 confirmed cases and 900 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
Sources channels