G7 ministers meeting to be held by video conference: US

WASHINGTON

The U.S. State Department will hold a G7 foreign ministers meeting "virtually by video teleconference" instead of in person in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the agency said Wednesday.

"Out of an abundance of caution, the United States has decided to host the upcoming G7 ministerial virtually by video teleconference instead of gathering in Pittsburgh, March 24-25," said spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus.

The move comes amid the coronavirus outbreak that has infected more than 120,000 globally. It was first detected last December in Wuhan, China.

According to Johns Hopkins University, more than 1,000 people in the U.S. have contracted the virus, known as COVID-19, while at least 29 have died.

The global death toll nears 4,300.