[Vause:] Latin America could soon be in the grips of this pandemic. For three days now, Brazil has reported confirmed cases increased daily by more than 1,000. Makeshift hospitals have been open now in the iconic soccer stadiums of Brazil, and according to Johns Hopkins University, the death toll has risen to more than 320. In Ecuador, with more than 3,000 confirmed cases and 120 dead, the government is ordering most workplaces to close, so, too, schools and has canceled public events through April. Police have been deployed to enforce stay-at-home orders. And health officials in Canada report more than 1,100 cases and 139 dead, but a third of that number are among the elderly, living in long-term care facilities. Most Canadians are under stay-at-home orders, and schools are closed for more than two weeks. But one city in Ecuador has been overwhelmed by the number of dead. Morgues are full, and many bodies have been left in the streets. And while lockdown orders remain in place, relatives, it seem, are unable to do much about it. And a word of caution: this report by CNN's Matt Rivers contains graphic images.
[Matt Rivers, Cnn International Correspondent:] On the deserted streets of Guayaquil, a body left discarded on the sidewalk. This is the morbid new reality in the epicenter of Ecuador's coronavirus crisis. As the outbreak spreads, there is no more room for the dead. "We have been waiting five days. We are tired of calling," says this man. Pleading with authorities to pick up a corpse, still laying inside. With a lack of testing for COVID-19, most have no way to know who among the dead are infected. Some feel forced to leave the bodies of their loved ones outdoors, fearing contagion as their corpses decay.
[Unidentified Female:] It's the odor from the body that we can't handle any more. There are also elderly neighbors, and I have my mother who is 80, and having respiratory problems.
[Rivers:] In one video obtained by CNN, a group of people in face masks appear to be removing a body from a car. Moments later, a police vehicle approaches and seems to speak with them as the corpse lies on the ground. After the interaction, the group puts the body back in the car, and the police drive off. Authorities tell CNN they could not offer details about the video. National figures show Ecuador's police have collected more than 300 bodies from homes in Guayaquil from March 23 to the 30th, and officials say they're struggling to keep up.
[Jorge Wated, Head Of Coronavirus Body Disposal:] This unit, in the last three days, went from taking away 30 deceased per day, to 150. That's independent from the work of the private funeral homes and graveyards in the country.
[Rivers:] With morgues, funeral homes and cemeteries strained, the government is bringing in containers to temporarily store dead bodies. One Guayaquil official says they also plan to build a large number of burial plots, as authorities expect over 3,000 may die in the Guayas province alone. Meanwhile, healthcare workers say hospitals are also beyond capacity, as reports surface of patients dying while waiting for care. In a video posted online, the mayor of Guayaquil pleaded for help and demanded the federal government give answers. Ecuador's president has since mandated transparency about the scale of coronavirus inside the country. Officials have also announced new measures to slow its spread, and promised to prioritize, quote, "dignified burials" of the dead. But it may be too little, too late for many in Guayaquil, who are left with no way to lay their loved ones to rest. Matt Rivers, CNN.
[Vause:] Well, from Russia with love. The Kremlin sends a cargo plane filled with aid to New York to help in the fight against the coronavirus. But was it goodwill, humanitarian aid, and who paid for it? Also ahead, how the pandemic is putting enormous strain on emergency services across the U.S. Find out how many precautions first responders have to take before they head out on just one call.