UN chief extends telecommuting at world body’s headquarters until July 31

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has extended the telecommuting arrangements at the world body’s headquarters in New York until July 31 in view of the social distancing measures and restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic. He said that the UN premises will be re-opened for diplomats, staff and journalists in four phases.

Antonio Guterres, in a letter to the UN staff members on Saturday, said that after consulting with the senior management and “our medical services regarding the coronavirus situation, I have decided to extend the current telecommuting arrangements at the headquarters complex through July 31, 2020. “We will continue to review these arrangements and will provide advance notice should there be any easing or further extension of these measures”.

According to Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center, the contagion has infected over 77,00,000 people and killed more than 4,30,000 across the world. The US is the worst affected country with over 2.07 million cases and more than 1,15,000 deaths. The COVID-19, which originated in China’s Wuhan city in December last year, has also battered the world economy with the International Monetary Fund saying that the global economy is bound to suffer a “severe recession”.

Scientists are racing against time to find a vaccine or medicine for its treatment.Telecommuting was implemented at the UN headquarters from March 16 as the COVID-19 cases were increasing steadily in the state and the arrangements have been extended periodically, keeping in mind the coronavirus situation on ground. New York has finally turned the tide and is now reporting record low number of hospitaliSations, daily infections and deaths.