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Coronavirus global health emergency: Coverage from UN News

Coronavirus global health emergency: Coverage from UN News
The outbreak was first reported in Wuhan, China, on 31 December 2019

This page brings together information and guidance from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations regarding the current outbreak of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) that was first reported in Wuhan, China, on 31 December 2019. Please visit this page for daily updates. WHO is working closely with global experts, governments and partners to rapidly expand scientific knowledge on this new virus, to track the spread and virulence of the virus, and to provide advice to countries and individuals on measures to protect health and prevent the spread of this outbreak.

A training session on coronavirus testing takes place at the Best-dos Santos Public Health Laboratory in Barbados.
PAHO Barbados/Brenda Lashley

Protecting the Caribbean’s most vulnerable people in the face of COVID-19: A UN Resident Coordinator blog

The United Nations is working closely with governments in the Caribbean to protect the region’s most vulnerable people from the impact of the deadly coronavirus, COVID-19. For this latest in our occasional series, Didier Trebucq, United Nations Resident Coordinator to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, explains what action they are taking in that region.

Woman waits with cash in hand to make purchase an old time New York City bakery, which counts the number of people it allows in to maintain a safe distance between customers.
UN News/Elizabeth Scaffidi

Low-skilled workers, developing countries at risk of steep economic decline as coronavirus advances

The global economy could shrink by up to one per cent in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and may contract even further if restrictions on economic activities are extended without adequate fiscal responses, according to analysis released today by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA).

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© UNICEF Pacific

COVID-19 in the Pacific: Children are the ‘hidden victims’

Lockdowns and school closures around the world due to COVID-19, are affecting children’s learning, mental health, and access to basic health services.

In the Pacific Islands, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) are working with governments and partners to stop transmission and keep children and their families safe.

In an interview for UN News, UNICEF Pacific Representative, Sheldon Yett, painted a grim picture of parents and caregivers losing their jobs, compounding the problem of shuttered classrooms.

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