WTO cancels meetings until March 20 over COVID-19

By Bayram Altug

GENEVA (AA) - The World Trade Organization (WTO) said Tuesday that it is canceling all meetings until March 20 after one of its employees was diagnosed with the novel coronavirus.

According to information obtained by an Anadolu Agency correspondent, WTO Director-General Roberto Azevedo sent a statement to its office of representatives in Geneva informing them of the news and noting the employee is being quarantined at home.

The statement said the situation was closely being monitored and all WTO employees were aware of this.

Meanwhile, all meetings of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) have been canceled during the months of March and April.

Also, all side events, including panels and conferences within the 43rd session of the Human Rights Council at the UN Geneva Office were canceled last week.

Additionally, the UN Geneva Office was closed to visitors.

The novel coronavirus, officially known also COVID-19, was first detected last December in Wuhan, China.

The global death toll from the virus is now over 4,260, with more than 118,100 confirmed cases, according to Johns Hopkins University in the U.S.

The virus has spread to six continents and more than 100 countries.