Quito, Mar 15 (IANS): Ecuador's emergency management authorities have announced an extension of teleworking for government employees due to an increase in Covid-19 infections.

Teleworking will be continued until April 13 for government employees to ensure provision of public services and to avoid inconvenience to citizens, Xinhua news agency quoted the Emergency Operations Committee (COE), which manages the pandemic situation, as saying on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the date of the reopening of offices will be subject to the COE's evaluation based on the epidemiological situation in the country.

Teleworking also applies to employees in the education sector, but the schools reopening with approved pilot programs will be exempt from the order.

Teleworking has been in force in the public sectors since March 2020 when the pandemic started in the country.

Ecuador has so far reported a total of 302,221 Covid-19 cases with 11,446 deaths.