Kathmandu, May 13

The number of Nepali migrant workers infected by the coronavirus in Saudi Arabia has reached 674.

According to Nepali Embassy in Riyadh, 674 Nepali migrant workers, including 11 women, have tested positive for the virus. It is the highest number of cases among Nepali migrants out of all destination countries, as per the embassy.

Of them, 336 Nepali migrant workers have been infected in eastern part of Saudi Arabia; 175 in Riyadh; three in Al-Qassim; 148 in western part, including Mecca, Medina, Jeddah, and Jizan; three in Ha’il and nine in other parts of the country.

According to the embassy, some Nepalis have been discharged after recovering but the exact number of such cases has not been revealed by the Saudi Arabian government.

“Altogether 31 Nepalis have died in Saudi Arabia since the nationwide lockdown was imposed. However, only one confirmed death was due to the virus, while the cause of death of three is yet to be ascertained.”

Since the outbreak of the coronavirus, a total of 10 Nepali migrant workers employed in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arabia have succumbed to the virus and another 1,124 labourers in the Gulf Cooperation Council nations and Malaysia have been infected by the COVID-19.

According to the Department of Foreign Employment, three Nepalis have died due to the virus in Qatar and six in the UAE and one in Saudi Arabia till today.

The latest data provided by Non-Resident Nepali Association show 5,472 Nepalis living abroad had been infected as of May 9. Of them, 78 had died and nearly 2,000 had recovered.

A version of this article appears in e-paper on May 14, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.