AUTONEWS

Coronavirus: Geneva Salon threatened

There are no confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19 infection in Switzerland, but the coronavirus is making the organization of the Geneva Motor Show and the car manufacturers themselves who have already announced that they will be attending the Swiss event nervous. According to The Guardian, the fair that takes place annually may be canceled, as happened with the World Mobile Congress (WMC), which should take place from February 24th to 27th, in Barcelona, ​​Spain, but which will only return take place in 2021. The decision was announced on 12 February, with the cancellation of the meeting dedicated to mobile to be justified, precisely, by the “global concern with the coronavirus outbreak”.
It happens that at the WMC more than 100 thousand participants were expected from about 200 countries, but the scale of Geneva is much higher, which increases the risk. Hence, automakers are monitoring the epidemic in Europe, seeking to anticipate the possible effects of the outbreak in an event that stands out for the strong concentration of people. The 90th edition of the Geneva Motor Show, open to the public from the 5th to the 15th of March, should bring about 600 thousand visitors to the Palexpo. However, only 1% comes from non-European countries, says the British newspaper.
For the time being, the organization ensures that the European event is not called into question, having drawn up a health plan to reduce the likelihood of infection, adjustable at any time, which involves reinforcing cleaning and disinfection in points considered to be at greatest risk. . Namely, bathrooms, handrails and catering areas.
The Beijing Salon, in China, also runs the risk of not taking place or of being postponed, to contain the outbreak. It is scheduled for April, with an estimated 800,000 people.

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