QUITO – Soaring numbers of COVID-19 deaths in Ecuador's second city Guayaquil have led to a shortage of coffins, forcing locals to resort to using cardboard boxes, city authorities said Sunday.
Authorities in the Pacific port city said they had received a donation of 1,000 pressed cardboard caskets from local producers, and delivered them for use in two local cemeteries.
"It's so they can meet demand," a city hall spokesman said. "There are either no coffins in the city or they are extremely expensive." Businessman Santiago Olivares, who owns a chain of funeral homes, said his company was unable to keep up with demand.
"I sold the 40 that I had at the downtown branch, and 40 others from my headquarters. I had to order 10 more at the weekend and they've run out," Olivares added.
The cheapest coffins currently cost around $400.
Olivares said a 15-hour curfew in the city was contributing to the shortage of basic raw materials for coffin makers like wood and metal.
Last week, residents posted videos on social media showing abandoned bodies in the streets in the Latin American city worst hit by the pandemic.
The government called in troops to pick up 150 corpses from streets and homes earlier this week after mortuary workers in the city were unable to keep up with a backlog of removals.
The cardboard coffins "will be a great help in providing a dignified burial for people who died during this health emergency," the Guayaquil mayor's office wrote on Twitter.
Ecuador reported 3,646 cases of the coronavirus on Sunday, including 180 deaths, the majority of them occurring in Guayaquil and its surrounding province of Guayas.
Associated Press of Pakistan Corporation (APPC) - Pakistan's Premier News Agency
Pakistani rupee remains stable against US dollar in the open market on 29 March, 2024.
In the open market, the US dollar was being quoted at 278.3 for buying and 281.05 for selling.
Euro moves down to 299.75 for buying and 302.75 for selling while British Pound hovers around 353.75 for buying, and 357.25 for selling.
UAE Dirham AED remains stable at 75.55 whereas the Saudi Riyal saw minor increase, with new rates at 73.70.
Currency | Symbol | Buying | Selling |
US Dollar | USD | 278.3 | 281.05 |
Euro | EUR | 299.75 | 302.75 |
UK Pound Sterling | GBP | 353.75 | 357.25 |
U.A.E Dirham | AED | 75.55 | 76.3 |
Saudi Riyal | SAR | 73.70 | 74.4 |
Australian Dollar | AUD | 182.9 | 184.7 |
Bahrain Dinar | BHD | 739.61 | 747.61 |
Canadian Dollar | CAD | 204.25 | 206.46 |
China Yuan | CNY | 38.74 | 39.14 |
Danish Krone | DKK | 40.30 | 40.7 |
Hong Kong Dollar | HKD | 35.55 | 35.9 |
Indian Rupee | INR | 3.33 | 3.44 |
Japanese Yen | JPY | 1.86 | 1.94 |
Kuwaiti Dinar | KWD | 901.14 | 910.14 |
Malaysian Ringgit | MYR | 59.25 | 59.85 |
New Zealand Dollar | NZD | 168.56 | 170.56 |
Norwegians Krone | NOK | 26.19 | 26.49 |
Omani Riyal | OMR | 724.36 | 732.36 |
Qatari Riyal | QAR | 76.57 | 77.27 |
Singapore Dollar | SGD | 206.25 | 208.25 |
Swedish Korona | SEK | 26.89 | 27.19 |
Swiss Franc | CHF | 313.78 | 316.28 |
Thai Bhat | THB | 7.76 | 7.91 |
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