CAIRO — Egyptian actress Ragaa Al-Geddawy died on Sunday, aged 81, due to complications from Covid-19. The news was confirmed on social media by her daughter, Amira Mokhtar, after the actress died in hospital in the Egyptian city of Ismailia. Mokhtar added that the star was set to be buried in Egypt.

It had been previously reported that Al Geddawy was on the mend after being diagnosed with COVID-19 on May 24. The situation, however, took a turn on June 2, with Al-Geddawy falling unconscious.

Al-Geddawy tested positive for the illness caused by the novel coronavirus in late May and was treated in isolation at a hospital in Ismailia province, some 130 km east of Cairo, local media reported.

She had recently completed filming for her latest TV series “Laabet El Nesyan” (Oblivion Game), which aired during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

A veteran actor, Al-Geddawy boasted a lengthy and varied career during which she gained fame across the Arab World.

Al-Geddawy started out as a model before taking on acting roles from the late 1950s, including her first film “Ghariba” (The Stranger) in 1958.

She went on to act in more than 380 films, plays and television shows alongside some of the biggest names in Egyptian cinema.

Al-Geddawy was also the niece of renowned belly dancer and actor, Taheya Carioca.

Egypt's health ministry has tallied 74,035 COVID-19 cases including 3,280 deaths since recording its first infections. — Agencies