Coronavirus outbreak pushes LG out of Mobile World Congress

The ongoing spread of the coronavirus across China and other parts of the globe continues to have a direct effect on the tech industry.

On Tuesday afternoon, South Korean consumer tech giant LG announced they will be skipping the upcoming Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain so as not to risk exposing LG employees to the virus. 

“With the safety of its employees, partners and customers foremost in mind, LG has decided to withdraw from exhibiting and participating in MWC 2020 later this month in Barcelona, Spain,” the statement said. 

It added, “In lieu of its participation in MWC, LG will be holding separate events in the near future to announce its 2020 mobile products.”

MWC is a huge event in the tech calendar, a global conference where tech companies unveil major mobile tech releases and tease other upcoming products. With LG exiting, it’s not out of the question to see more companies follow suit. 

This isn’t the coronavirus outbreak’s first big impact on a major tech company. Apple put travel restrictions in place for employees in China and have temporarily closed all Apple stores there. Google has likewise temporarily shuttered its China office due to the outbreak.