UN confirms 28 of its staff died from coronavirus

Total of 1,140 staff had contracted virus as of June 21

GENEVA: The UN announced Tuesday that 28 of its staff have died due to the novel coronavirus.

In a statement, UN Information Services Director Alessandra Vellucci said they were among the 1,140 staff that had contracted the virus as of June 21.

No other information was provided.

UN, developed nations urged to help poor countries during pandemic

Since originating in Wuhan, China last December, the pandemic has claimed more than 474,600 lives in 188 countries and regions.

More than 9.18 million cases have been reported worldwide, while over 4.6 million patients have recovered, according to figures compiled by US-based Johns Hopkins University.