CAIRO: Famed Egyptian actor Ragaa al-Geddawy died on Sunday after contracting the Covid-19 disease, the actors union said. She was 81. "Ragaa al-Geddawy passed away this morning due to Covid-19," union head Ashraf Zaki told AFP. "No public funeral was arranged for health reasons."

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 kilometres (80 miles) east of Cairo, local media reported.

She had recently finished filming for her latest TV series "Laabet El Nesyan" (Oblivion Game), which aired during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

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