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                                                                                         WORLD NEWS Thursday 13 February 2020




































            Virus worries force cancellation of major tech show in Spain



            By  KELVIN  CHAN  and  MAE  have  estimated  the  show
            ANDERSON                     was  to  generate  473  mil-
            AP Business Writers          lion euros ($516 million) and
            LONDON  (AP)  —  Organiz-    more than 14,000 part-time
            ers  of  the  world's  biggest  jobs for the local economy.
            mobile technology fair are  Spain's vice president, Car-
            pulling  the  plug  over  wor-  men Calvo, said there was
            ries  about  the  viral  out-  "no public health reason" to
            break from China.            call  off  the  show.  She  said
            The  annual  Mobile  World  Spain  had  a  good  health
            Congress will no longer be  response  system  and  was
            held  as  planned  in  Barce-  following  all  of  the  recom-
            lona, Spain, on Feb. 24-27.  mendations from the World
            "Global concern regarding  Health Organization.
            the  coronavirus  outbreak,  Dr.  Mike  Ryan,  the  WHO's
            travel  concern  and  other  emergencies  chief,  said
            circumstances, make it im-   before  the  cancellation
            possible  for  the  GSMA  to  that  the  show  could  have
            hold the event," John Hoff-  gone on.
            man,  head  of  the  GSMA  He said that while no mass
            organizing  body,  said  in  a  gathering  is  ever  risk-free,
            statement Wednesday.         with  the  potential  for  food
            The  decision  comes  after  poisoning,  injuries  or  build-
            dozens  of  tech  compa-     ing  collapse,  most  events   In this Feb. 25, 2019 photo, attendees walk to enter at the Mobile World Congress wireless show,
            nies  and  wireless  carriers  "can continue if the proper   in Barcelona, Spain. Organizers of the world’s biggest mobile technology fair are pulling the plug
            dropped out, with the latest  measures can be applied."   over worries about the viral outbreak from China.                     Associated Press
            cancelations by Nokia, Vo-   Spanish  labor  unions  said
            dafone, Deutsche Telekom  that  the  show  was  called  uct launch events anyway,  draw  "after  a  full  assess-   to  undergo  a  two-week
            and Britain's BT on Wednes-  off due to the panic of the  as  Samsung  did  Tuesday  ment  of  the  risks  related  self-quarantine period.
            day. Other companies that  major  technological  com-     in  San  Francisco.  But  Baja-  to a fast-moving situation."  Organizers  were  caught
            dropped out earlier include  panies.  The  CCOO  union's  rin said Mobile World Con-   The  company  said  "the  between       risking   poten-
            Ericsson, Nokia, Sony, Ama-  regional  leader,  Javier  Pa-  gress  was  still  an  opportu-  health  and  well-being  of  tial  backlash  over  public
            zon, Intel and LG. The com-  checo,  denounced  "the  nity for many people in the  employees  was  a  primary  health  concerns  if  they
            panies  cited  concerns  for  alarmist  attitude  of  the  mobile  industry  to  meet  in  focus"  and  that  canceling  went  ahead  or  facing  big
            the safety of staff and visi-  technological  companies  one place. The GSMA, the  its involvement was a "pru-      financial losses if they can-
            tors.                        that  from  their  position  of  wireless trade body that or-  dent decision."         celed, said Stephen Mears,
            Organizers  and  govern-     global  supremacy  don't  ganizes the fair, had said it  The  departures  of  Nokia  a  research  analyst  at  Fu-
            ment  officials  had  sought  care  about  the  local  im-  was meeting regularly with  and  Ericsson  had  left  Chi-  turesource Consulting.
            to  hold  out  against  grow-  pact."                     global  and  Spanish  health  na's Huawei, a major spon-  Even  before  the  cancella-
            ing  pressure  to  cancel  the  But Tim Bajarin, president of  experts  and  its  partners  sor  of  the  fair,  as  the  only  tion, Mears said his five-per-
            annual tech extravaganza,  consultancy Creative Strat-    to  ensure  the  well-being  remaining  major  network  son  team  was  considering
            which had been expected  egies,  said  cancellation  of  attendees.  It  had  al-      gear maker still planning to  dropping out or shortening
            to draw more than 100,000  was  prudent  with  all  the  ready  urged  participants   attend.  But  even  Huawei  the  trip  as  many  partici-
            visitors  from  about  200  unknowns surrounding how  to  avoid  handshakes  and  was  scaling  back  by  as-       pants they wanted to meet
            countries,  including  5,000  the new virus is spread and  planned to step up clean-   signing  European  staff  to  wouldn't  be  there,  includ-
            to  6,000  from  China.  The  the  fact  that  many  com-  ing  and  disinfecting  and  the show instead. Its chair-  ing those from China, which
            show  normally  represents  panies had already pulled  make  sure  speakers  don't  man  had  planned  to  hold  accounts for an increasing
            a  huge  source  of  revenue  out.                        use the same microphone.     a  media  briefing  by  video  share  of  the  global  smart-
            for  hotels,  restaurants  and  These days, most big com-  Earlier  Wednesday,  Nokia  because  he  wouldn't  get  phone and mobile network
            taxi companies. Authorities  panies hold their own prod-  said it had decided to with-  to Spain with enough time  industry.q
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