Coronavirus: UN Closes New York Headquarters, Declares Emergency Plan

Text by: Carrie Nooten Follow

In New York, the UN will close its doors to visitors this Tuesday evening March 10. The decision has just been validated internally and should be announced this Tuesday morning. It comes a week after the United Nations Palace in Geneva closed its doors due to the coronavirus epidemic.

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From our correspondent in New York,

The announcement will be made in the morning to diplomats. Starting this Tuesday evening, visitors will no longer be accepted in UN buildings in an attempt to stop the spread of the coronavirus epidemic. A building that welcomes a thousand visitors a day in normal times. The decision comes after New York State declared a state of emergency .

Large groups have so far roamed the premises of the United Nations. Yet the WHO - a UN agency - had declared the epidemic " a public security emergency of international concern ".

As they meet this morning, the 193 member countries received an email a few hours ago explaining that the United Nations 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, which is put in place so that UN personnel can work remotely.

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

The Security Council on Telework

This Tuesday, it will be advisable to organize the week into three days of homework and two days at the United Nations. The 15 members of the Security Council even tested for the first time this Monday evening a telework device which should allow them to meet and possibly vote remotely in case of force majeure. The Council has never been prevented from coming together in its 75 years of existence.

► To listen: Restrictions linked to the coronavirus: "The population must engage in these measures"

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• Coronavirus
• UN
• Health and Medicine

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