Ecuador sees 213,378 cases of COVID-19, 9,487 deaths

QUITO, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- Ecuador's Ministry of Public Health on Friday reported 866 infections and 14 deaths from the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the past 24 hours, raising the total caseload to 213,378 and the death toll to 9,487, since the onset of the pandemic on Feb. 29.

According to the ministry's daily pandemic report, the actual death toll could be around 14,000 as another 4,564 deaths were likely caused by the coronavirus but not verified.