Another Uber driver is reported to have died off Coronavirus after trying to hide his illness for fear that he would be evicted by his landlord.
Rajesh Jayaseelan, a father of two is originally from India, and died alone in the Northwick Park hospital in Harrow on April 11th.
According to his friend, Sunil Kumar, the 44-year-old driver had “starved” for several days at his rented place. He had informed his wife who is currently in Bangalore that he did not want to leave his room because other residents might realise he had Covid-19 and he would be thrown out.
In March, a previous landlord had allegedly ordered Jayaseelan to leave the premises because the landlord believed that the minicab driver, may spread the disease to him and his family. Jayaseelan had to sleep in his car for several nights. He died shortly after his wife and mother in Bangalore saw him unconscious in a final video call arranged by Kumar.
Jayaseelan is the third Uber driver confirmed to have died from Covid-19 in London besides Zeeshan Ahmed, a father of two young children in his late 20s, and Ayub Akhtar. The lack of clear guidelines and protection for minicab drivers have left them highly vulnerable to the virus.
Sunil Kumar who works at the NHS, IT department had started a gofundme page with the target of raising £15,000 for Rajesh's family as the cab driver was the sole bread winner in the family. This page has earned over £27,000 now.
