QUITO, Oct. 17 (Xinhua) -- The mayor of Quito, Ecuador, Jorge Yunda, urged citizens on Saturday to abide by preventive measures to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the city, which is the current epicenter of the disease in the country.

"We are fighting this pandemic. We are not out of danger, and that is why we are calling for the use of masks and doing what we already know is important: distancing, washing hands," Yunda said.

Quito, the most populous city in Ecuador, has been the hardest hit by the pandemic, registering 428 new cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 45,052, according to the Ministry of Public Health (MSP).

Yunda said that preventive measures are key so that citizens can continue to safely carry out their daily activities within the framework of the new normal.

Earlier, the Ministry of Health reported that Quito intends to buy another 100,000 COVID-19 tests to guarantee the ability to diagnose the disease.

Ecuador reached 152,422 cases and 8,087 deaths from COVID-19 on Saturday, after registering 763 new cases and 15 more deaths in the last 24 hours. Additionally, according to the MSP, another 4,288 deaths were likely caused by the virus, but these have yet to be confirmed. Enditem

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