Kerala on Saturday recorded its first death due to the novel coronavirus as a 69-year-old man who returned from Dubai and was under treatment at the Kochi Medical College following symptoms of pneumonia passed away.

The death was confirmed by Ernakulam District Medical Officer Dr NK Kuttappan.

The man, who had reached Kerala on March 16, was admitted on March 22 due to pneumonia. He had undergone bypass surgery earlier and was a heart patient and had high blood pressure.

The man’s wife and the cab driver who took them from the airport to their house are also infected and undergoing treatment at the same hospital.

Meanwhile, the deceased man will be cremated as per protocol, a News18 report said.

Not more than 10 relatives will be allowed to attend the cremation. The residents of the flat, where the patient used to live, are under observation. The fellow passengers of the flight which the patient took from Dubai will also be traced, according to reports.

The death comes almost two months after the southern state reported its first confirmed case.

Kerala had reported India’s first case of novel Coronavirus on January 30. A student, who was studying at Wuhan University in China and returned to his home state, had been confirmed of being infected with the virus.

The next two cases of COVID-19 were also reported from Kerala and the patients were also students in Wuhan.

However, all the three patients recovered and were discharged.

As per the data released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Kerala currently has 165 cases of Coronavirus of which 8 are foreign nationals while 11 have been discharged.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday said that the situation does not look good as 39 more coronavirus positive cases — the highest on a single day so far — were registered.

He also termed the situation as serious, with all 14 districts in the state now having positive cases.

Presently there are 110,299 people who are under observation including 616 at various hospitals.

Vijayan also gave out a call to all philanthropists to see how best they can contribute to the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund as lots of funds are required.

Of the new cases on Friday, 34 are in Kasargode, two at Kannur and one each in Thrissur, Kozhikode and Kollam. Of these, 25 came from the Middle East.