Five Keralites lost their lives to the coronavirus on Sunday in Saudi Arabia, Ireland, and United States.
Three deaths were reported in the United States on Sunday. Thankacchan, who hails from Muttom in Thodupuzha, Thiruvalla natives Eliyamma, 65, and Shawn Abraham, 21, lost their lives to coronavirus in New York. Shawn had been in treatment for the past one week.
This brings the death toll of Keralites in New York to Four; US to 5.
Thomas David, 43, hailing from Elanthoor in Kerala's Pathanamthitta district, died in New York on Thursday. He was an employee at the New York Metropolitan Transport Authority.
Kunjamma Samuel, 85, from Ramamangalam in Ernakulam district, is the other Keralite. He died at New Jersey.
In Ireland, Beena George, 58, a nurse who hails from from Kottayam's Kuruppanthara, succumbed to the virus on Sunday.
Safwan (38), a native of Tirurangadi in Malappuram district, died in Saudi Arabia's Riyadh on Saturday. He was suffering from high fever and undergoing treatment at the Saudi German Hospital in Riyadh for the past four days.
Safwan had been working as a driver in Saudi Arabia for the past ten years. His wife, who had been staying with him since last month, is now under observation.
This is the second Keralite death emerging out of Saudi Arabia. Shabnaz, hailing from Panoor municipality in Kannur district, died here on Saturday due to coronavirus complications. He was 29.
Saudi Arabia, which has reported the highest number of infections in the Gulf, is scrambling to limit the spread of the disease at home. As of Sunday, the Islamic Kingdom had 29 deaths and over 2,300 cases reported.
More COVID-19 deaths of Keralites have been reported from across the world. Two from UK, and one each from the United Arab Emirates and Mumbai. A total of ten Keralites have succumbed to the disease outside Kerala.
The deceased from UK include Perintalmanna-native Dr Hamza Pacheeri (80) and Sienna, a nun belonging to Missionaries of Charity. Thrissur native Pareed, 67, had died in Dubai and Thalassery native Ashokan died in Mumbai on Wednesday.
As many as 64,000 people have died due to coronavirus across the world and over 1.2 million cases have been reported so far.