Dario Vivas, the governor of Venezuela's capital Caracas district, died on Thursday of COVID-19 at 70 years old, officials said. 

Vivas, a senior member of the ruling socialist party and a strong ally of President Nicolas Maduro, had said on Twitter on July 19 that he had tested positive for the novel coronavirus and was going into self-isolation. 

"He died in combat ... taking care of his health and all of us in this difficult battle against the Covid-19 pandemic," Vice President Delcy Rodriguez wrote on Twitter. 

Vivas is the first top-level Venezuelan government official to die of the virus, though several have tested positive.  

Venezuela had reported 29,088 COVID-19 cases as of Wednesday, with 247 deaths. Both are among the lowest figures in South America, but doctors and opposition politicians warn that the true caseload is likely far higher given testing delays, citing data from healthcare workers.