Toronto FC defender Chris Mavinga's uncle has died in France as a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Mavinga revealed on Twitter on Friday. The club confirmed the news to MLSsoccer.com.

#Coronavirus took someone in my family yesterday night... please take care of your family ! #StayHome — Chris Mavinga (@Chris_Mavinga) March 27, 2020

Mavinga has played for TFC since 2017, and he signed a new deal with the club this past January. He has represented France at various youth international levels, but is capped at the full international level for DR Congo, where his father was born. Mavinga's mother is from Angola.

Thank you for your prayers and support. I feel so powerless about this situation. My uncle was a person very important for me. I will miss him a lot 💔 — Chris Mavinga (@Chris_Mavinga) March 29, 2020

As of Sunday, France has suffered the fifth-most fatalities from COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, according to Johns Hopkins University's interactive online coronavirus resource center map.