UNITED NATIONS, March 13 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday demanded all UN staff to telecommute and work remotely from March 16 to April 12, to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 at the UN headquarters in New York.

"I have therefore decided that from Monday, March 16 to Sunday, April 12, 2020, all staff will be required to telecommute and work remotely, unless their physical presence in the building is needed to carry out our essential work in New York and around the world," said the UN chief in a letter sent to all UN staff seen by Xinhua.

"Given recent developments in the wider United Nations family in New York, and based on extensive consultations with senior management, including the medical director, I have decided to step up measures at United Nations headquarters to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 virus," said the secretary-general.

Guterres noted that the decision is twofold: "reduce our physical presence at United Nations headquarters; and continue delivering on our mandates."

"It is essential that we reduce social contact to a minimum and follow the clear instructions of the World Health Organization to minimize the risks of transmitting the infection," he said.