United Nations, March 12 (RHC)-- The Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, canceled Thursday all United Nations system sponsored side events at Headquarters, from March 16  until the end of April, effective immediately.

This is the latest measure announced by Guterres to address the spread of Covid-19, which is already present in more than 100 nations around the world.

The secretary-general also urged member states to consider canceling all side events for the meetings they are sponsoring, said spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

The U.N. official will soon contact member country representations and multilateral agency staff to update them on preparedness measures to mitigate the impact of the new coronavirus.

From the beginning of the outbreak, Guterres said, the safety of staff and member state representatives is balanced with the need to ensure that the work of the U.N. continues in New York and around the world.

Currently, the Secretary General's spokesman said, there is a three-phase response activation system in place to manage and coordinate health emergencies.

U.N. headquarters in New York is currently in phase two, which is an active risk reduction mode.

This includes taking measures for social distancing in the workplace and assessing the importance of travel and meetings against associated risks.