Coronavirus : UN Closes Offices in New York

#International www.cameroon-tribune.cm

Following the rapid spread of the virus and declaration of state of emergency in the state.

The UN has closed the doors of its offices in New York to visitors. The decision which was taken on Tuesday, March 10 comes a week after the United Nations Palace in Geneva closed its doors due to the coronavirus epidemic.

According to an announcement that was made public to diplomats’ yesterday evening, visitors will no longer be accepted into United Nations buildings in an attempt to stem the spread of the coronavirus epidemic. A building that welcomes thousands of visitors a day in normal times. The move comes after New York State declared a state of emergency.

However, the World Health Organization (WHO), a UN agency, had declared the epidemic "a public safety emergency of international concern" as early as January 30. On Tuesday, the New York Governor, Andrew Cuomo during a news conference announced 16 new confirmed cases of the virus, bringing the total number in New York State to 106. 

During a meeting, the 193 member countries received an email a few hours before explaining that the UN is entering phase 1, in the preparatory phase, of its emergency plan. A business continuity plan had been created after Hurricane Sandy in 2012, providing for unit by unit what is put in place so that UN personnel can work remotely.

Since Monday, the frequency of disinfection of the premises has doubled and staff returning from so-called “at risk” areas are asked to put themselves into voluntary quarantine. 

The 15 members of the Security Council were tested, for the first time this Monday evening, a telework device which should allow them to meet and obviously vote remotely in case of force majeure. The Council has never been prevented from coming together in its 75 years of existence.

Since the outbreak of the virus, the United Nations has seen many of its programs and activities scaled down with the most recent being the organizing committee of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), a major UN conference scheduled to take place in March for several days, been cut down to a one-day meeting due to the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus.