Amazon, NVIDIA No Longer Attending Mobile World Congress Due to Coronavirus Risk

Amazon and NVIDIA are the latest companies no longer attending the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain this month over concerns of coronavirus.

The two join a continuously growing list of tech firms pulling out of MWC due to the risk of infection, including Sony, Huawei, and ZTE.

To date, more than 40,000 infections with coronavirus have been confirmed since it was first detected in China’s Hubei province.

“Due to the outbreak and continued concerns about novel coronavirus, Amazon will withdraw from exhibiting and participating in Mobile World Congress 2020,” Amazon said in a statement.

Extra measures announces

GSMA has announced that due to the growing risk of infection, this year’s MWC will come with an additional set of safety measures, including a full ban for travelers from the Hubei province in China.

Furthermore, GSMA says temperature screening will also be implemented, and attendees will have to self-certify they have not been in contact with anyone infected.

And last but not least, all those who’ve been to China need to demonstrate they left the country more than 14 days before, either with a passport stamp or with a health certificate.

“We are grateful for the preventative measures our Chinese exhibitors have put in place, notably ZTE and Huawei. Today, the GSMA is moving ahead as planned and will host MWC Barcelona 24-27 February 2020. While the GSMA 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 organizers said.

Last week, GSMA revealed a new set of safety recommendations at the show, including microphones that will be replaced after each event. Handshakes are not recommended, the organization said, and increased cleaning and disinfection will take place in all high-volume touchpoints, including toilets, catering areas, and public screens.