IMO Headquarters shut over Covid-19

Chinazor Megbolu |

The headquarters of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has been shut over the menace of Coronavirus epidemic also known as Covid-19.

A statement by the agency showed the IMO head office is shut to visitors and members of staff since Thursday March 12 and Friday March 13 respectively.

The closure the organisation hinted is to take precautionary measures due to COVID-19 virus.

Few days back, World Health Organisation (WHO) did an assessment and stated that COVID-19 could be characterised as a pandemic.

The epidemic had led to the IMO Secretary-General and the Organisation’s Senior Management Committee embarking on monitoring the situation closely and leading to the staffs working from home where possible.

Further checks showed that in accordance with the host government recommended procedures, certain areas of the IMO building are undergoing deep cleaning during the closure period. The remainder of the building will be sanitized as appropriate.

Group visits and other external events in the IMO building are currently cancelled until April 15.

From Tuesday March 17, all social visits to the IMO Headquarters building are actively discouraged.

Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund IMF on Thursday urged countries to work together in responding to the rapidly spreading coronavirus outbreak, and called for more donations to help the poorest countries deal with the escalating pandemic.