Amid coronavirus outbreak, companies keep pulling out from the upcoming Mobile World Congress 2020 in Barcelona, Spain to ensure safety. After LG, Ericsson, NVIDIA, and Amazon, Japan-based Sony has become the latest brand to pull out from MWC 2020.
In a statement announcing the same, the company said: “Sony has been closely monitoring the evolving situation following the novel coronavirus outbreak, which was declared a global emergency by the World Health Organization on January 30th, 2020. As we place the utmost importance on the safety and wellbeing of our customers, partners, media and employees, we have taken the difficult decision to withdraw from exhibiting and participating at MWC 2020 in Barcelona, Spain.”
Sony had previously scheduled for 08:30 AM CET on 24th February in Barcelona but now the company has confirmed that the event will take place online.
With companies withdrawing from the event, GSM Association, which organizes MWC, has put out an updated statement detailing measures it is taking against the spread of the coronavirus. It has banned on all travellers from China’s Hubei province, the epicentre of the outbreak. It also added that people who have been in China must provide proof they have been outside the country for 14 days.
It has also advised participants not shake hands with each other and microphones used by speakers will be disinfected and changed. The GSMA estimates between 5,000 and 6,000 people to visit Mobile World Congress.
