MWC 2020 Is Canceled Over Fears Of The Coronavirus Outbreak

Many big companies have withdrawn from the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona due to COVID-19 (the official name of the current novel of Coronavirus dubbed by WHO). And today, the organizers of the show decided to cancel it.

CEO John Hoffman of GSMA, the organization responsible for the show, said that to ensure the safety and health for people and the environment in Barcelona as well as the host country when the pandemic is in an alarming condition, GSMA has to cancel the event.

MWC was first held in Barcelona in 2006 and has become one of the most important events of the mobile industry. Many mobile brands around the world including Samsung, Huawei, and LG take part in this event to show off their latest products. This year, MWC attracted 2,800 companies to attend. When organizers of the show saw the potential of canceling, GSMA and the city tried to ease concerns around the event.

According to Wired, GSMA is persuading Barcelona to announce a health emergency so that the organization can cancel the show but still can take back the money they have invested and reduce the risk.

However, the city still thinks that the show will still go on because this event has many huge and positive impacts on the economy of the city. The number of Chinese taking part in MWC (around 6,000) has made others worry about the risk of the coronavirus outbreak. Many big companies have lowered the number of people going to MWC or pull out completely.

The coronavirus pandemic is spreading widely in China; scientists all over the world are working hard to develop treatments and vaccines for the disease. The coronavirus is found in bats and some kinds of wild animals but it can be transmitted from humans to humans so limiting going to crowded places and taking part in events is one of the effective ways to protect yourself.

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