UN Secretary-General in Quarantine

Diplomatic sources reported that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres placed himself in quarantine on Tuesday for a few days after coming into contact with an official from the international organization who later tested positive for COVID-19. The sources told AFP that Guterres (72) canceled all his in-person engagements. He was supposed to be the guest of honor on Wednesday evening at the UN Correspondents Association's annual gala in Manhattan. On Thursday, Guterres was scheduled to participate in a UN Security Council meeting chaired by Niger's President Muhammad Bazoum, focusing on challenges related to terrorism and climate change. Bazoum, whose country assumed the monthly presidency of the Security Council at the beginning of December, arrived in New York on Tuesday and will stay there until the end of the week before heading to Washington. UN spokesperson Stefan Dujarric declined to comment on this information at the moment. A few days prior, Dujarric announced that Guterres had recently received his third booster shot against the coronavirus after having long hesitated to take such a step at a time when millions of people around the world are still deprived of receiving their first dose.