THE Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on Friday, February 7, clarified that the death of an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) in Dubai was not a 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) case as earlier reported.

According to the report received by the office of Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III from the Philippine Labor Office in Dubai, confirmatory tests conducted on Amalia Collado Daproza's specimen yielded negative results.

Bello announced on Thursday, February 6, that the OFW died of an unspecified coronavirus in January.

"Initially, sabi hindi coronavirus – that was a February 1 report. But February 2, coronavirus na, and I met the daughter kanina, and they are going there to see her. Pagka-coronavirus, i-cremate agad," the Labor Secretary said.

“The sister of the OFW wants to go there and probably bring home the remains and she is bringing with her the daughter, the only child of the OFW,” he added.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) earlier denied the report and said that the officials of the Ministry of Health and Prevention said that the “UAE has not recorded any deaths from the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), and all cases registered in the country have been officially announced.”

Coronavirus is a family of viruses that causes common colds and pneumonia. The 2019-nCoV has killed more than 600 people across the world as of Friday.

In the Philippines, three cases including one death have been confirmed. All three cases involved Chinese nationals from Wuhan, epicenter of the outbreak. (SunStar Philippines)