Ecuador becomes a Global leader for daily vaccine administration per 100 people +
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Ecuador becomes a Global leader for daily vaccine administration per 100 people +

Despite the hardship brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic, Ecuador is racing to become a global leader in vaccination, making travel safer. See the progress, and what it means for travel.

Looking back on the past year, Ecuador has endured its share of adversity.  The healthcare system, like many others, collapsed with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, making headlines around the world. With Ecuador’s strict travel requirements, including mandatory lockdowns, and travel advisories across the globe, the tourism sector halted, a sector seeing two and a half million visitors and well over two billion dollars in 2018.  On the micro-scale, GreenGo travel, like many other tourism agencies, had to scale back, furlough valuable employees, and shelter until the storm passed.

Fast forward to the present, Ecuador maintains the number one spot in daily vaccination administrations per 100 people, a spot held for over a week. In May of 2021, the newly elected president Guillermo Lasso pledged to carry out nine million vaccinations in the first 100 days of his presidency, over half the population of over seventeen million citizens. Critics argued that with just 3% of the population vaccinated, the target was a lofty goal. However, by the end of August, the country administered 19 million doses, fulfilling Lassos pledge. Now, Ecuador has the third-highest percentage of fully vaccinated people in South America, with nearly 20 million vaccines deployed. 62% of the population have received at least the first shot and 51% are fully vaccinated.

Ecaudor travel requirements

How did they do it?

Despite the tough challenges, the government employed several methods to ramp up vaccines.

  1.  Facilitate coordination between the central and regional governments, the private sector, universities and international organizations.
  2. Vaccination days for state and private-sector workers, students, and the general public.
  3. Setting aside special days for vaccinating harder to reach groups, such as the indigenous, the rural and the migrant populations.
  4. Innovation: The Electoral Register –  recently updated for the general elections – was leveraged to identify and contact people eligible for vaccination, while polling stations were used as vaccination centers

What does this mean for Ecuador travel?

The President of Ecuador posits this vaccination program is not only beneficial to the health and security of its people, but a key component in revitalizing the country’s economy. As for travel, this successful program means Ecuador is safer and to enter, enabling tourists to visit and boost the economy through spending. Read on for the Ecuador travel requirements.

Ecuador travel requirements

Ecuador travel requirements are continually changing, and the Galapagos islands have additional travel requirements. Make sure to stay updated on any changes as they come.

  • All travelers except children age two (2) and under arriving in Ecuador must provide proof of a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR test taken no more than three days prior to entering the country or present a vaccination card showing the traveler received a complete series of the COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days before entry.
  • As of July 12, 2021, the Government of Ecuador no longer accepts rapid antigen tests for entry. The only test accepted is the RT-PCR test.

Galapagos requirements

  • All foreign travelers age 16 and older who are not residents of Ecuador must present a negative RT-PCR test taken a maximum of 72 hours prior to travel, counting from the time the sample was taken, AND present a vaccination card showing the traveler received a complete series of the COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days prior to travel.
  • Foreign travelers between the ages of 2 and 16, as well as residents of Ecuador age 2 and older, do not require a vaccine but must present a negative RT-PCR test taken a maximum of 72 hours prior to travel, counting from the time the sample was taken.

Want to make Ecuador and/or the Galapagos islands your next holiday adventure? Visit our website, including all the information you could need on Ecuador, Galapagos, and Peru vacations. Speak with any one of our professional agents, who are knowledgeable, friendly, and experts in travel.


About Angel Nunez

Ecuador & Galapagos Travel Consultant, Blogger, Fitness & Health Aficionado, Amateur Photographer & Designer. Here to guide you through stories and visuals, what Ecuador, The Galapagos Islands & Peru have in store for you!

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