UNITED NATIONS, April 7 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has suspended the rotation and deployment of peacekeepers until June 30 to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, his spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Tuesday.
"In order to mitigate the risk of transmission of COVID-19, the secretary-general has suspended the rotation and deployments of uniformed personnel-- individual officers and formed, police and military units -- until June 30," Dujarric said at a virtual press briefing.
"Our peacekeeping missions are working full time to contain and mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Our priorities are to ensure the COVID-19-free status of incoming uniformed personnel, and mitigate the risk that UN peacekeepers could be a contagion vector and simultaneously maintain our operational capabilities," said Dujarric.
"A few, limited exceptions may be considered to continue to deliver on the mandate, but only in extenuating circumstances on the basis of strict conditions to prevent the spread of the virus," he added.
