Tanzanian mission’s defense adviser dies of COVID-19 in Indian capital

NEW DELHI, May 3 — The defense advisor at the high commission of Tanzania died of COVID-19 in the Indian capital of New Delhi, local newspaper Hindustan Times reported on Monday.
“Col Moses Beatus Mlula was taken to a leading private hospital of New Delhi in a serious condition on April 27 but it declined to admit him, people familiar with developments said on condition of anonymity. The Tanzanian mission reached out to the Indian Army, which rushed Mlula to the Base Hospital at Delhi Cantonment, currently, a COVID-19 facility catering to military personnel, veterans, and their dependents,” the newspaper said.
“Mlula died at the Base Hospital in the afternoon of April 28. The Tanzanian mission acknowledged his death in a message circulated among foreign missions, UN agencies, and international organizations. The mission also opened an online condolence book for messages that will be open till May 3.”
This is the first death within the diplomatic community in New Delhi amid the ongoing second wave of COVID-19 infections that has wreaked havoc across the country.
The newspaper quoted its sources as saying that there were reports of Indian staff and junior diplomats testing positive at several foreign missions, including those of the Philippines, New Zealand, Thailand, Vietnam, Palestine, the United States, and Afghanistan.
“Some of those who tested positive were self-isolating at home while a handful had been admitted to hospitals,” the Hindustan Times said.
According to the newspaper, there was no official word from Indian officials on these developments and the foreign missions are tight-lipped on issues such as whether the treatment of those who have tested positive has been affected by the shortage of oxygen and hospital beds for COVID-19 cases.

– Xinhua