The upcoming Group of Seven gathering of foreign ministers that was expected to be hosted in Pittsburgh will now be held virtually as the coronavirus continues to spread rapidly across the U.S. and around the world.
The State Department announced Tuesday the gathering of foreign ministers from the U.S., the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Germany, Canada and Japan will take place via video teleconference later this month.
The decision was made “out of an abundance of caution,” according to a department statement, although the announcement did not specify the change is due to the coronavirus.
“We thank the city of Pittsburgh for its willingness to host this year’s G-7 ministerial and for the support and assistance planning this year’s event,” the department said.
As of Tuesday, the U.S. has recorded over 1,000 infections and nearly 30 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University’s coronavirus tracker. 14 cases have been confirmed in the state of Pennsylvania.
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