New York: At least 11 Indians have died of COVID-19 in the United States (US) according to latest reports available Thursday. Eighteen others have also tested for the dreaded coronavirus and are in hospital in various states of the US. The pandemic coronavirus have so far claimed more than 14,000 lives in Donald Trump’s country and four lakh people have been hit by the disease.
All the Indian citizens who have died due to the deadly infection in the US are male. Ten of them are from New York and the New Jersey area. Four of the victims are said to be taxi drivers in New York City.
It is worth mentioning that New York City has emerged as the US epicentre for COVID-19 spurt, accounting for more than 6,000 deaths and over 1,38,000 cases of infections. New Jersey accounts for 1,500 fatalities and nearly 48,000 infections.
The US media also reported the death of an Indian citizen in Florida infected by coronavirus. There have also been reports of deaths of people of Indian origin in California and Texas. Authorities are now trying to find out whether the deceased had become US citizens or retained their Indian citizenship.
Among the 18 Indians who have tested positive for coronavirus, four are females. All of them have been placed under quarantine. Among the 18, nine are from New York, three from New Jersey and the rest from Texas and California. They hail from Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh.
The Indian Embassy here and consulates across the United States are working closely with local authorities and Indian-American organisations to provide necessary assistance to Indian nationals and students affected with COVID-19.
Because of the strict travel restrictions and regulations to prevent the spread of the deadly virus, local city officials have been performing the last rites of the deceased. In many cases they are not allowing even the immediate family members of the deceased to attend their cremations, officials said.
Agencies