Ecuador Struggles to Collect the Dead as Coronavirus Spreads

Policemen wearing face masks and gloves greet without using hands at Plaza Grande square in Quito, Ecuador, on March 19, 2020. RODRIGO BUENDIA/AFP via Getty Images

GUAYAQUIL, Ecuador—Ecuadorean authorities said on Monday they would improve the collection of corpses, as delays related to the rapid spread of the CCP virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus, has left families keeping their loved ones’ bodies in their homes for days in some cases.

Residents of Guayaquil, Ecuador’s largest city, have complained they have no way to dispose of relatives’ remains due to strict quarantine and curfew measures designed to prevent spread of the disease. Last week, authorities said they had removed 100 corpses from homes in Guayaquil.