QUITO, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- Ecuador's largest hospital, the Eugenio Espejo Hospital in Quito, is preparing for a possible spike in novel coronavirus (COVID-19) patients in the wake of national holiday celebrations, the head of the intensive care unit (ICU), Manuel Jibaja, said on Monday.

"This morning we were on alert regarding what could happen, which is that the number of serious cases could increase and we would have to go back to doing what we were doing for a while. We have enough experience by now," Jibaja told a local television station.

According to the doctor, during this past long weekend marking the 200th anniversary of the independence of the city of Guayaquil, revelers ignored social distancing and mask-wearing recommendations.

According to the Ministry of Public Health, Ecuador has registered 147,315 cases of infection and 7,976 deaths from COVID-19, with 282 new cases and 27 more deaths reported in the last 24 hours.

Another 4,242 deaths are suspected of having been caused by the virus, but have not been confirmed. Enditem

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