Jamaican Olympian Yohan Blake has taken to social media to express his love for India and his wish that its people remain safe as the spread of the COVID-19 virus continues to ravage the country.

More than 18 million Indian nationals have reportedly been infected by the virus in that country where more than 200,000 deaths have been reported. However, some reports suggest that the number of persons infected could be as high as a half a billion.

In some Indian cities, authorities have resorted to publicly burning the bodies of citizens who have died of COVID-related illnesses.

The tragic circumstances have prompted Blake to react to the situation on social media.

“Just want to take this time and send my love to India. I have been watching cricket over the years. I have grown to love the country so much. Wonderful people all around,” Blake said in a Twitter post titled ‘letter to India’.

“I am begging everyone to please do what you can to stay safe. I know it will be difficult but imagine if we work together.”

The rapid rise in COVID-19 cases in India has caused the cancellation of many sporting events in India. In the Indian Premier League, several foreign players have opted to return to their respective countries citing safety concerns.

OLYMPIC HOPEFULS INFECTED WITH VIRUS

A number of their Olympic hopefuls have also been infected by the virus.

The Olympic channel reported that Indian hockey captain Manpreet Singh and five teammates caught the novel coronavirus while training in Bengaluru. Shooters Rahi Sarnobat, Deepak Kumar and Saurabh Chaudhary also tested positive.

Tokyo-bound wrestler Vinesh Phogat, boxers Ashish Kumar, Simranjit Kaur and Lovlina Borgohain and race walker Priyanka Goswami all contracted the virus. All, however, have recovered. Earlier this week, seven members of the Indian women’s hockey team tested positive for the virus at the Sports Authority of India’s Bengaluru centre.