Amazon is the latest firm to pull out of this month’s Mobile World Congress due to concerns over the coronavirus outbreak.
The annual mobile exhibition regularly attracts more than 100,000 visitors from 200-plus countries.
But following a December outbreak of novel coronavirus in central China (and its subsequent spread across the globe), folks are reluctant to travel—particularly to crowded cities and events.
South Korean electronic company LG, Swedish equipment maker Ericsson, and U.S. chip manufacturer Nvidia have already withdrawn participation from the upcoming show.
Amazon.com is the fourth firm to retreat.
“Due to the outbreak and continued concerns about the new coronavirus, Amazon will withdraw from exhibiting and participating in Mobile World Congress 2020,” the tech titan said in a statement published by Reuters.
Amazon’s cloud computing arm AWS was on tap to host a full-day conference on day one of MWC.
The GSMA-run Congress is expected to continue as planned.
“While [we can] confirm some large exhibitors have decided not to come to the show this year, with others still contemplating next steps, we remain more than 2,800 exhibitors strong,” the GSMA Association said last week.
“Our sympathy goes out to all those affected. We are grateful for the preventative measures our Chinese exhibitors have put in place,” the company continued, citing Shenzhen-headquartered tech titans ZTE and Huawei.
Among other precautions, no travellers from China’s Hubei province will be allowed into the event. And any attendees who’ve visited the foreign country must prove they have been outside of it for 14 days prior (via a passport stamp or health certificate).
Temperature screenings will also be implemented.
“While further planning is underway, we will continue to monitor the situation and will adapt our plans according to developments and advice we receive,” GSMA said. “We are contending with a constantly evolving situation, that will require fast adaptability.”
Mobile World Congress is scheduled for Feb. 24-27 in Barcelona.
Health Minister Alba Vergés confirmed on Friday that the city is not a public risk.
“The Catalan health system is prepared to detect and treat coronavirus, to give the most appropriate response, and this must be clear to those attending MWC Barcelona,” she said in a statement.
Secretary of Public Health Joan Guix, meanwhile, reiterated that the region, used to welcoming thousands of visitors, is ready and responsive.
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