UN Headquarters Closes To Public As Coronavirus Precaution

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — The United Nations is closing its Midtown Manhattan headquarters building to the public to protect against the spread of coronavirus as new cases are confirmed each day in New York, a spokesperson for the international organization announced Tuesday.

Closures at the United Nations will go into effect at 8 p.m. Tuesday evening and all upcoming guided tours will be suspended, a UN spokesperson said. The headquarters building, located along First Avenue from East 42nd to 48th streets, will also direct many staff members not to come into work.

"As the Secretary-General has said, the health and safety of staff is a matter of his utmost priority and concern. The United Nations will continue to monitor the situation closely and further measures may be taken as circumstances evolve," Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres, said in a statement.

A UN spokesperson could not provide information as to when the building will be reopened to the public. There are no confirmed coronavirus cases among UN staff in New York, the spokesman said.

The number of cases of the new coronavirus in New York City increased to 25 people now confirmed sick, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Tuesday morning. The amount of people sickened has gone up significantly since the first person tested positive on March 2. On Monday night, 20 people were confirmed sick.

Statewide, the number of cases went up by 25 overnight, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Tuesday on CNN. That number is now 165.

Read more: Coronavirus In NYC: Where It's Spread And What's Being Done