First Covid-19 case detected at United Nations headquarters
A female diplomat from the Philippine mission to the United Nations has tested positive for the novel coronavirus (Covid-19). This is the first case of Covid-19 infection recorded at the UN headquarters in New York, USA.
Reuters news agency quoted a statement from the Philippines' acting ambassador to the UN, Kira Azucena, to other missions at the UN, saying: "As of today, the Philippine mission is in lockdown. All staff have been instructed to self-isolate and seek medical attention if they develop symptoms. We believe all of us have been infected."
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| United Nations headquarters building in Manhattan, New York, USA. Photo: newyorkmania.it |
According to the UN's online directory of diplomatic staff, the Philippine mission consists of about 12 diplomats and their office is located on Fifth Avenue in midtown Manhattan, New York, USA.
Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin tweeted that the diplomat who tested positive for Covid-19 is young, active and in good health. She recently traveled to Florida before returning to New York.
The diplomat is the Philippines’ representative to the UN General Assembly’s Legal Affairs Committee. According to Ambassador Azucena, she was last at the headquarters of the world’s largest organization on Monday, March 9, for about half an hour without showing any symptoms.
The diplomat began showing flu-like symptoms on March 10 and went to see a doctor. On March 12, she received a call informing her that she had tested positive for Covid-19.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric added that the Philippine diplomat had met with two other diplomats and had only visited a UN meeting room earlier this week. Since then, the headquarters management has sprayed the meeting room with disinfectant three times. Health authorities have also contacted diplomats who had close contact with the patient. Several UN meetings scheduled for today, March 13, have been canceled following the incident.
The 193-nation organization began implementing Covid-19 precautions at its Manhattan headquarters this week, including suspending public access, conducting regular cleanings and canceling some meetings. Half of the thousands of UN staff who normally work inside the building will work from home starting next week.
The World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared the outbreak of acute respiratory disease caused by the new strain of Corona virus a "global pandemic" on the evening of March 11 (Vietnam time). As of the morning of March 13, Covid-19 has attacked 127 countries and territories around the world, infecting more than 134,000 cases and claiming the lives of at least 4,983 people. However, the world has also witnessed more than 70,000 patients recovering after treatment.
