LONDON (AP) – Nokia on Wednesday became the latest company to drop out of one of the world’s biggest technology fairs over worries about the viral outbreak from China.
The Finnish technology company said it has decided to withdraw from Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain “after a full assessment of the risks related to a fast-moving situation.”
The company said it believes it is making a “prudent decision” to cancel and that it’s “primary focus” is to safeguard the health and well-being of employees.
Nokia is the latest in a string of tech companies to pull out of the event scheduled for Feb. 24-27. Ericsson, Amazon, Sony, LG, Cisco and Intel have already decided not to attend.
Mobile World Congress, the world’s biggest trade fair for the wireless and mobile industry, was expected to attract more than 100,000 visitors, including 5,000-6,000 from China.