UN Security Council halts meetings due to coronavirus outbreak

The UN Security Council's Chinese presidency cancelled the body's two final meetings scheduled this week due to the coronavirus crisis, diplomatic sources said.

After the earlier cancellation of the meeting planned for March 17, the Security Council was planning to discuss the situation of Darfur in Sudan on March 18, and address multilateralism on March 19.

It was not possible Monday to confirm the cancellations with the Chinese mission to the United Nations, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the Security Council. Diplomats from other countries however confirmed the decision, the AP reported.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said that a positive Covid-19 case had been identified among staff at the UN secretariat, after a Philippines diplomat was reported infected last week.