A Filipino in the United Arab Emirates who had tested positive for the new coronavirus was in "stable" condition on Tuesday, an envoy of Manila said.

Authorities did not disclose how the Filipino caught the virus that had killed more than 1,000 so far, mostly in China, said Philippine Ambassador to the UAE Hjayceelyn Quintana.

The Filipino, she said, had no history of any respiratory or heart disease.

"Ang puwede ko pong maibalita, stable naman itong ating kababayan (what I can share is our compatriot is stable)... He's being given maximum support by health authorities," the official told DZMM.

Filipinos in UAE, many of them wearing masks to dodge the disease, are "very understanding and calm" over the situation, Quintana said.

The UAE last Feb. 5 halted flights to mainland China, except Beijing due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The UAE is a major international transit hub used to connect between Asia and Europe, Africa and South America.

DZMM, Feb. 11, 2020