The 2019-nCoV, better known as the Wuhan coronavirus, has been battering businesses in China and the impact is gradually spreading across other global companies, indicating growing fears about workers getting infected.
Amazon Backs Out of Mobile World Congress
Amazon is just among the big and few tech firms that usually lead the game during the annual Mobile World Congress. However, the company recently announced that it will pull out of the list of companies joining the event.
According to BBC, the international e-commerce giant said the decision to pull out of the Mobile World Congress this year was "due to the outbreak and continued concerns about novel coronavirus."
Other companies have previously announced their withdrawal from the event that usually attracts over 100,000 people from around the world.
Among the tech firms that will not attend the event are: American chip giant NVIDIA, Swedish telecoms equipment provider Ericsson, and South Korean electronics giant LG.
MWC organizer GSMA acknowledged that some tech greats will be missed at this year's conference but it said the organizing team has already implemented stricter screening measures to protect its over 2,800 remaining exhibitors from contracting the Wuhan coronavirus.
Tech Giants Implement Travel Restrictions
Amazon has also implemented some new travel restrictions to its employees and other tech companies have also done the same.
According to Business Insider, smartphone giant Apple has prohibited employee travels to China except in "business-critical situations" that gives the company no choice but to allow the trip.
As part of the company's efforts in preventing coronavirus infections among its workers, CEO Tim Cook said deep-cleaning measures and temperature checks have been carried out since the novel virus' outbreak.
Facebook Employees in China Ordered to Work at Home
Chinese employees for Facebook have been ordered to work from home as part of the social media giant's efforts in preventing its employees from getting infected with the coronavirus.
According to Bloomberg, a spokesman for the company said the move was agreed on "out of an abundance of caution as health and drug researchers continue to work on developing a potential vaccine.
Facebook has drawn ire from Chinese talents following the 2019 firing of a Chinese coder who said the social media company has been mistreating its foreign employees.
Other Companies Back Out of Conferences
Chinese laptop giant Lenovo has also joined the call to prevent potential infection among workers. According to CNET, the company said it will continue to keep out of conferences where face-to-face meetings are required.
Late last month, Google said all mainland China offices will be shut down temporarily as precautionary measure. Employees who are in China have been advised to work from home for at least 2 weeks, which is the coronavirus' incubation period.
Tesla Shuts Down Shanghai Plant
On February 2, Tesla temporarily closed its Mainland China stores, a company sales employee's post revealed. The e-vehicle giant has yet to confirm the news.
According to CNBC, the employee's post, in translated form, revealed that the company asked its employees in the country to stay at home and watch after their health.
The local government of Shanghai has also ordered businesses to only resume regular operations Monday, February 10. The scenario suggests that Tesla was left with no choice but to shutter its new factory in the city.
Industry experts believe the EV giant will most likely delay its deliveries of the Model 3 cars that are being developed at the Shanghai plant after almost two weeks of no operations.
U.S. Companies in Various Sectors See China Decline Amid Coronavirus Outbreak
American companies doing business in China have not been spared by the fast-spreading coronavirus.
Starbucks and McDonald's are just two of the food and beverage giants that were forced to close down stores across the country following the novel virus' outbreak, ABC News reported.
L'Oreal also closed its China stores for about a week. The Asian nation is one of the cosmetics giant's top markets and executives are expecting business to experience the hit for up to several weeks.
Last week Yum China said over 30 percent of its China restaurants were closed due to fears around the coronavirus. The company has yet to announce when it will re-open the closed shops.
Yum China operates various global brands such as Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and KFC.
