Amazon, Sony latest to pull out of Euro tech show over coronavirus fears

Sony and Amazon are among the latest tech companies to pull out of an industry show in Barcelona this month over fears of the spreading coronavirus. 

Sony announced it would be pulling its appearance at the Mobile World Congress fair, citing the World Health Organization’s declaration of the virus outbreak as a global emergency. 

“As we place the utmost importance on the safety and wellbeing of our customers, partners, media and employees, we have taken the difficult decision to withdraw from exhibiting and participating at MWC 2020 in Barcelona, Spain,” Sony said in a statement. 

The tech company will instead share news of its new products on Feb. 24 on its YouTube channel. 

Amazon also announced over the weekend it would be skipping its scheduled appearance at the conference due to concerns over the outbreak, The Associated Press reported. 

Amazon was expected to have a big presence at the show, according to the AP. 

Additionally, NTT DoCoMo, a Japanese-based mobile phone operator, canceled over concerns about safety, according to a company statement. 

The show organizer, GSMA, said in a statement Sunday it is “moving ahead as planned” with the industry event Feb. 24 to 27. 

The statement added that “health and safety are our paramount concerns” and several precautions have been put in place, including permitting access to the event from travelers from Hubei province. Travelers who have been in China will need to demonstrate proof they have not been outside of China 14 days prior to the event.