United Nations Security Council chambers at UN world headquarters in New York  City.

By Gary Raynaldo        DIPLOMATIC TIMES

UNITED NATIONS  – NEW YORK – The UN Security Council has canceled  all meetings this week due to the coronavirus pandemic.  Last week,  it was revealed by the Philippines mission to the UN that one of its diplomats had tested positive for the virus, the first case to be reported at the UN.  “She last visited the United Nations last Monday, March 9, for about 30 minutes — from 12.50 to 1.20 pm. She was asymptomatic then. The following day, Tuesday, March 10, she came down with flu-like symptoms and, in accordance with the Mission’s office protocol, did not report for work that day and saw her doctor,”  according to a statement from the Philippines’ mission to the United Nations. The  statement added the Filipino mission was working closely with the New York Health Department and was on lockdown until further notice.  Tourists have also been banned from entering the UN’s world headquarters.   

The UN announced that all personnel were being ordered to telecommute for four weeks after a diplomat was exposed to the virus.   The Security Council was planning to discuss the situation of Darfur in Sudan on Wednesday, and address multilateralism on Thursday. The United Nations building remains open but the number of people entering the building has declined dramatically from approximately 10,000 per day to 900.