Filtered By: Pinoyabroad
Pinoy Abroad

Dubai denies OFW died of ‘new coronavirus’


The Dubai government has denied Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello's remarks on Thursday that a Filipina domestic worker succumbed to "coronavirus."

In a post on Facebook, the Dubai Government Media Office said tests conducted on the deceased showed that she did not have the virus.

"The Dubai government media office denied the validity of the statements by the Philippine minister of labor regarding the death of a Filipino woman in Dubai due to the new corona virus," the post read.

"The deceased was suffering from respiratory infection and laboratory tests showed she did not have the virus," it added.

Bello on Thursday afternoon said that a 58-year-old Filipina household worker died of coronavirus in Dubai earlier this month.

It was not clear if Bello was referring to the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) or the novel coronavirus (nCoV) that originated in Wuhan, China, and which is now infecting thousands in several countries.

Over 500 have died, most of them in China.

"Initially, sabi hindi coronavirus. That was February 1 report, hindi coronavirus. Pero February 2, coronavirus na," Bello said in an ambush interview.

Bello did not identify the Filipina, who died on February 2, but said she was from General Santos City.

The Filipina worked in Dubai for 22 years before her death.

The Philippine government is now working on having the Filipina's sister and children sent to Dubai where her body will be cremated.

According to the report, the government will provide the Filipina's children transportation fees for their travel to Dubai.

"I met the daughter kanina and they're going there. Kapag coronavirus, kwan agad, cremate agad," Bello said. —Joahna Lei Casilao/NB, GMA News

LOADING CONTENT