UN stops peacekeepers rotation to prevent coronavirus spread

So far, no UN peacekeeping mission has reported any cases of the new virus

Health officials screen the temperature of workers on a Nile cruise ship near Luxor, Egypt. According to Egypt's Health Ministry, 12 people tested positive for coronavirus on a Nile cruise ship coming from Aswan and heading to Luxor. EPA

People look at a man wearing a protective mask as a means of prevention against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at the Al Rahman mosque, after Friday prayers, in the southern suburb of Maadi, on the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt. REUTERS

Revolutionary Guard members disinfect an ATM machine to help prevent the spread of the new coronavirus in Tehran, Iran. AP Photo

Iraqi medical staff rest after checking passengers' temperature, amid coronavirus outbreak, at Najaf airport, Iraq. REUTERS

The outbreak map dashboard showing statistics on the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the United States during a briefing from Johns Hopkins University on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. AFP

A sanitation worker wears a protective face mask after a case of coronavirus was confirmed in the country, at Jorge Chavez International Airport in Lima, Peru. REUTERS

Children walk past an image of Mona Lisa with a protective face mask after further cases of coronavirus were confirmed in Barcelona, Spain. REUTERS

Empty shelves at a Walmart as people have started to rush and stock first necessity products over fear of a coronavirus outbreak, in Los Angeles, California, USA. EPA

A couple wear face masks as they ride an escalator at a shopping mall in Beijing. AP Photo

Soldiers from The High Command of Chemicals under Vietnam's Ministry of National Defence spray disinfectant as a precaution against the coronavirus on Truc Bach street in Hanoi, Vietnam. A 26-year-old Vietnamese woman recently back from Europe has tested positive for coronavirus, the first confirmed case after weeks. Since the outbreak began, the country has reported only 17 cases of COVID-19, 16 of whom have been cured and released from hospital. EPA

A camera operator wears a protective mask as British Columbia Premier John Horgan, Health Minister Adrian Dix, back right, and provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry, hidden, take questions during a news conference about the provincial response to the coronavirus, in Vancouver, British Columbia. AP

US President Donald Trump (C) holds a picture of the coronavirus with US Health and Human Service Secretary Alex Azar (L), CDC Director Robert Redfield (2nd R), and CDC Associate Director for Laboratory Science and Safety (ADLSS) Dr. Steve Monroe (R) during a tour of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia. AFP

Nine countries that contribute troops and police to the United Nations peacekeeping operations are delaying bringing in replacements for three months because of the coronavirus crisis, the international body said on Friday.

UN peacekeeping spokesman Nick Birnback said the delay in rotating troops and police by three months will enable the missions “to maintain operational strength and execute their mandated tasks.”

The Department of Peace Operations said it will have to suspend or postpone some planned deployments or rotations to peacekeeping operations in Congo, Lebanon and South Sudan and its border with Sudan.

As of Friday, the countries adjusting their troop and police plans are Cambodia, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Nepal, South Korea and Thailand, the department said.

As of January 31, the department said, over 95,000 personnel were serving in 13 peacekeeping operations, including nearly 70,000 soldiers, over 8,700 police officers and more than 12,600 civilians.

The department said there are no reported cases of the virus, known officially as Covid-19, in any of the UN’s field operations.

Mr Birnback said all the missions are putting in place “a series of mitigation measures to promote the safety, security and health of all UN personnel while maintaining continuity of operations.” These include health and sanitation policies and procedures for all personnel.

In Lebanon, 22 people have tested positive for the coronavirus and the government is looking to extend closures of schools and nurseries to shutter entertainment venues and nightclubs as it seeks to limit the spread of the virus.