Death of OFW in Dubai not due to nCoV

MANILA, Philippines — The Filipina household worker who died in Dubai was not infected with the novel coronavirus, a government-run media reported late Thursday.

“The cause of death was pneumonia and the woman had tested negative for novel coronavirus,” Dubai Media Office said on Twitter.

.@DXBMediaOffice denies false statements attributed to the Philippine Labour Secretary regarding a Filipina dying in Dubai due to the coronavirus. The cause of death was pneumonia and the woman had tested negative for novel coronavirus.

— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) February 6, 2020

The clarification was issued hours after Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said the 58-year-old domestic worker died of coronavirus. He, however, did not specify which strain.

The woman from General Santos City worked in Dubai as a household worker for 28 years.

The Gulf News reported that the United Arab Emirates has not recorded any deaths from the novel coronavirus.

The virus that originated from central Chinese city of Wuhan has spread to more than 20 countries and has killed over 630 people.

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