The coronavirus has sent companies and businesses around the world reeling as multiple corporate giants announced the closure of some popular establishments.
Walt Disney Company Announces Multiple Closures
On Thursday, the Walt Disney Company announced that Disneyland will be shut down due to the health threat posed by the coronavirus outbreak, USA Today reported.
Disney Cruise lines, Disneyland Paris, and Orlando's Disney World are all closing down in the meantime starting March 15 as part of the company's efforts in preventing the spread of the CoVID-19 strain among park goers.
The company went on to reveal that the closures of its theme parks in Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and Disneyland Paris Resort will be implemented until the end of the month. Employees who are cast members in each of the theme park locations will be paid appropriately.
Disneyland Resort said in a statement that there have been no confirmed coronavirus cases on-site but the closure was decided on "in the best interest of our guests and employees."
Big Tech Firms Implement Wider Work from Home Orders
Almost all of the big tech firms in the United States have urged more employees to work from home amid the continuing CoVID-19 outbreak in the country.
Amazon, Twitter, Facebook, and Google have all implemented telecommuting policies for most of their employees not just in the U.S. but around the world, CNN reported.
As part of the efforts to prevent coronavirus spreading in the workplace, Twitter led the way in making it mandatory for all global workers to work from home. Facebook, on the other hand, only imposed the remote working policy for workers who can do so.
An Amazon spokesman said the company is recommending that employees work remotely, while Google has advised its workers in the Middle East, Europe, and North America to telecommute.
Apple may Delay Low-Cost Phone Launch Amid CoVID-19 Outbreak
Apple has been expected since earlier this year to launch a low-cost iPhone called the iPhone SE 2 or the iPhone 9. However, some industry experts believe the launch will be pushed back amid coronavirus outbreaks around the world.
The said model has long been anticipated but production delays and the current coronavirus situation in the U.S. could put the product on hold, industry experts noted.
Samsung Offers Free Galaxy Sanitation Service
Amid the ongoing battle against the novel coronavirus, Samsung has started offering free Samsung Galaxy sanitizing service to help prevent the spread of the disease.
Whether it is a Galaxy-branded smartphone, wireless earbuds, or wearables, owners can have them cleaned in Samsung stores. The company also reiterated that it uses cleaning processes that will not affect the current performance of the devices.
On the other hand, the South Korean tech giant clarified that not all service centers have the service since not all are using UV-C light for sanitation. Also, the company said their cleaning services do not mean people who avail the services will no longer contract the CoVID-19 strain.
Hollywood Agencies Adopt Telecommuting
Even Hollywood followed suit in the form of agencies encouraging employees to start working from home.
On Wednesday, Paradigm announced that 200 of its New York employees have been provided with the necessary tools for them to work from home. The offices in NYC are still open but most of the employees have already been told to telecommute.
By Wednesday, other Hollywood agencies followed suit in urging staff to work remotely including CAA, ICM Partners, and UTA.
UTA, in particular, announced that it will shut down all of its physical offices worldwide starting Friday. It remains to be seen when the offices will open again.
The World Health Organization (WHO) released data stating that there are at least 125,288 coronavirus cases globally and at least 4,614 deaths from the CoVID-19 strain.
