Coronavirus Cancellations: G7 Meeting Scheduled In Pittsburgh Will Now Be Held Virtually 'Out Of An Abundance Of Caution'
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - The G7 meeting that was scheduled to be held in Pittsburgh will now be held by video teleconference "out of an abundance of caution."
The U.S. Department of State office of the spokesperson announced on Wednesday the upcoming G7 ministerial will be held virtually.
Foreign ministers from the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Canada were supposed to attend the meeting from March 24 to March 25 at the Omni William Penn.
"We thank the city of Pittsburgh for its willingness to host this year's G7 ministerial and for the support and assistance planning this year's event," a statement by spokesperson Morgan Ortagus says.
RELATED STORIES:
- World Health Organization Declares Coronavirus Crisis A Pandemic
- Ohio State University Cancels Face-To-Face Instruction For Month Of March
- Local Universities Have Contingency Plans In Place For Coronavirus Outbreak
- Pa. Dept. Of Health Announces New Presumptive Case Of Coronavirus, Total Increases To 11
- UPMC Putting Plans In Place To In Case Of Confirmed Case Of COVID-19
- Pittsburgh International Airport Taking Additional Steps To Prevent Spread Of Coronavirus
- Mayor Bill Peduto: Pittsburgh Is Preparing For Potential Coronavirus Outbreak
Before its cancelation, the city was gearing up for the meeting, with both city and county police training for the event.
The St. Patrick's Day parade in Pittsburgh was also canceled Wednesday. The city cited coronavirus concerns as the reason for the parade's cancelation.
As of Wednesday at noon, there were 15 cases of coronavirus in Pennsylvania, all of them are in the eastern part of the state.
Stay with KDKA for the latest in the developing story.