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In Ecuador, the death toll stands at 403 but new figures from one province suggest thousands have died.

The government in Guayas province reported 6,700 deaths in the first two weeks of April, far more than the usual 1,000 deaths there in the same period.

The first recorded case was of an Ecuadorean woman returning from Spain.

It backs the perception in Latin America that Covid-19 is a rich person's disease - a virus introduced to the region by affluent parts of society who had been travelling abroad.

The high death toll is also a devastating consequence of the combination of an overburdened healthcare system and a deeply unequal society which means not everybody is able - or willing - to socially distance and stop work.

Authorities argue they were quick to impose strict regulations and people chose to disregard measures but experts argue more could be done - and one thing that could help is testing.

While Ecuador is not the worst offender in the region, low testing rates have made it very difficult to understand how the virus has moved through communities, some of which have been devastated by the high death toll.

Read more about the situation in Ecuador here.