The coronavirus forced LG and ZTE to cancel their scheduled conferences at the MWC 2020 in Barcelona. Both firms say they want to avoid unnecessary risks and inconvenience to their employees. The GSM Association, the organization behind the show, assures that the MWC will still go ahead as planned. Unsurprisingly, precautions will be taken by the organizers.
When questioned by our colleagues at The Verge, a spokesperson for ZTE announced the cancellation of the manufacturer’s conference expected at MWC 2020. “We tend to be too courteous and we just don’t want to make people uncomfortable,” the spokesman said. The Chinese group clearly believes that the presence of its employees on the show may displease visitors.
ZTE also discusses the difficulties of obtaining a visa and travelling from China to the rest of the world. To date, 28 airlines have taken steps to stem the spread of the epidemic outside China. Flights to Chinese soil, for example, are suspended by most airlines. Some countries, including Russia, have even decided to close their borders to Chinese nationals.
Shortly after ZTE, LG issued a similar statement. “Concerned about the safety of its employees, partners and customers, LG has decided not to participate in the MWC 2020. This decision avoids exposing hundreds of LG employees to international travel that has already become more complicated as the virus continues to spread across borders,” explains LG.
“LG will soon be holding separate events to announce its new mobile products for 2020,” the South Korean manufacturer announced. As a reminder, LG had planned to present the LG G9 ThinQ and the LG V60 ThinQ at the MWC. In general, LG also takes advantage of the show to showcase its new TVs.
Read also: Coronavirus risks downing global smartphone production
Limited impact on MWC 2020
The GSM Association, organizer of the Mobile World Congress, assures that the coronavirus epidemic has only a “minimal impact on the event so far” and that the show “will go as planned”. The MWC will therefore open its doors in Barcelona on Monday 24 February 2020. Nevertheless, the agency will take “strong measures to contain and reduce any further spread of the virus.” Among the measures mentioned by the GSM Association are a “enhanced clean-up and disinfection programme,”an “increase in on-site medical support” and a “no-hands-on policy” for participants.
The coronavirus epidemic has already killed 490 people in China. There are now 24,300 cases of infection in the People’s Republic. According to health authorities, 80% of the victims of this new virus are aged 60 or over and were already suffering from serious health problems.
Source: The Verge
