The President of Ecuador has declared a state of exception in the country.[1] This declaration includes restrictions on freedom of movement and freedom of association and assembly. The main provisions include:
Movement:
- Curfew: No movement from 9pm to 5am, in effect from March 17, 2020.
- Restriction on freedom of movement at a national level with the following exceptions:
- Persons and public servants who must provide a public or private service for the provision of essential services; health and security services; fire departments; airports; air, land, marine and river terminals; banking services; food supplies and other necessary services, particularly those that combat the spread of COVID-19. This is strictly for the purpose of guaranteeing accessibility, regularity and continuity in the framework of legal and constitutional powers;
- Members of the National Police Force and Armed Forces;
- Accredited media communicators;
- Members of accredited diplomatic missions in the country;
- Medical, health or emergency workers as well as public transport managed by state entities, strategic sectors, transport for entities of the health, risk management and emergency response sectors and similar, security and police and military transport.
- Persons who must access a health center for health reasons;
- Persons who supply provisions, medicines and fuel, with the following restrictions on vehicles:
- a) Private vehicles with license plates ending in an even number or zero cannot be on the roads on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.
- b) Private vehicles with license plates ending in an uneven number cannot be on the roads on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Any breach of this restriction will be punished as per the current legal regulations.
Work:
- In-person work is suspended from March 17 to 24, 2020 for all workers and employees of the public and private sector.
- The National Emergency Operations Committee will evaluate the situation and may extend the ban on in-person work.
- In-person work can continue for the following sectors in order to guarantee the provision of services: essential public services; health and security services; fire departments; risk management; airports; air, land, marine and river terminals; banking services; food supplies; strategic sectors and other necessary services, particularly those that combat the spread of COVID-19.
- The food and health industries, chains and commercial activities will continue to run, as will those responsible for essential services, the entire export chain, agriculture, livestock and animal husbandry.
- Supermarkets, certain shops, warehouses, storage centers, convenience stores and pharmacies will remain open.
- Digital platform services for home deliveries and other media relating to telecommunications services will continue to operate.
The state of exception will last for 60 days as of March 16, 2020.
[1] Executive Decree 1017 of March 16, 2020. See: https://minka.presidencia.gob.ec/portal/usuarios_externos.jsf
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