WASHINGTON: One more Keralite died of COVID-19 at Michigan in USA. He has been identified as Valiyaparambil Joseph Mathew (69) hailing from Changanassery. He was former president of Detroit Malayalee Association. With this, 45 Malayalees have died abroad of the virus. 183,120 people have died globally.

The number of active COVID-19 cases worldwide is 26,24,846. The highest number of patients and deaths have been registered in the US. More than 2000 lost their lives in the last 24 hours. So far, 47,659 people have died in US alone. 474 deaths have been reported in New York in the last 24 hours.

The death toll in Italy has touched 25,085 and the country is just behind USA. 1,86,327 people have contracted the disease and are undergoing treatment. In Spain, 21,000 have tested positive, and 21,717 people died. Death toll in France crossed 21,000. 21,340 died of the virus. In Britain, death toll has touched 18,100.

Meantime, Robert Redfield, director of the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention warned that the second wave of COVID in the United States would occur in June this year. He said the winter season could be more difficult because the flu and coronavirus might be circulating at the same time. It could set up a dangerous double whammy for the health care system. COVID spread to the United States this time at the end of the flu season. The two of them are going to come together again, he said.