153 members of the Palestinian refugee community abroad have died of the novel coronavirus COVID-19, reported the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates.

The Ministry said there are 2,198 confirmed cases among Palestinians living abroad.

Last week, the Ministry said four Palestinians have died of coronavirus in Saudi Arabia and one in the United States.

It identified the casualties as Mohammad al-Hadi, 38, Ziad Mohammad Tanira, 74, Hwaida Salim Akhras, 58, and Hisham Said al-Taher, 60, from Saudi Arabia, and Methqal al-Qadi, 67, from the city of Chicago in the US.

According to the Ministry’s database, 1,262 patients among the Palestinian diaspora have recovered.

So far, 9,071,341 people have contracted the virus worldwide. The death toll stands at 471,163.