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Twitter is one of the latest companies to curbbusiness plans and policies in the wake of coronavirus, which has killed more than 3,000 people globally so far.
The tech giant said Sunday that it is suspending "all nonbusiness travel and events" which includes its participation atthe South by Southwest conference in Texas. The annualmultiday festival largely centers around entertainment and tech.
"Our goal is to reduce the risk that anyone at Twitter might contract or inadvertently spread the virus," Twitter said in a blog post.
The social networking site is hardly the first to respond to the evolving threat of what has been dubbed "Covid-19" by the World Health Organization.
In fact, it'sbeen a month since WHOdeclared coronavirus a "public health emergency of international concern" and inthat time, the outbreak has disrupted travel worldwide and clobbered the stock market with no immediate end in sight.
The long-term economic impact could be severe, a new study by the economic research firm Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development found. In recent weeks, the respiratory illness has also become a centralpoint of discussion during earnings calls as investors try to figure out what itmeans for their financials.
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It'sthreatening the supply of goods, as major manufacturing economies like China are largely shut down. It's also impacting consumer demand, with peoplerushing online for medical masks andhand sanitizer to thwart infection.
The threat of coronavirus is causing some companies to cancel travel plans.(Photo: Getty Images)
Heres what we know so far about how the latest companies and conferencesare responding to the coronavirus fallout:
On Friday, the Game Developers Conference was postponedafter Facebook, Sony and Amazon announced the companies were no longer attending.
The event was scheduled to take place from March 16 - 20, but organizers pushed it back to sometime "later in the summer."
"Having spent the past year preparing for the show with our advisory boards, speakers, exhibitors, and event partners, we're genuinely upset and disappointed not to be able to host you at this time," the company said on itswebsite.
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Geneva Auto Show
Tickets for the Geneva Auto Show are being refunded afterthe Swiss governmentbanned gatherings of 1,000 people or moreon Friday due to coronavirus.
The 90th edition of the motor show was scheduled to start next week. "We regret this situation, but the health of all participants is our and our exhibitors' top priority," organizers wrote on the website.
Workers at the popular tourist destination in France voted to stay home over the weekend due to worries about the potential spread of the virus.The Louvre will remain temporarily shut down while its operators monitor the situation.
The French government banned indoor gatherings of larger than 5,000 people.France has reported 130 cases of the virus, and more than half of the countrys regions now have at least one case.
The air travel company United is reportedly letting pilots take a month off work as the airline reduces travel in and around China. The Chicago-based company sent a memo to union members offering a month off with reduced pay, CNBC reports.
Other airlines like American and Delta have also suspended or reduced serviceto China, Hong Kong, South Korea and Japan, among other destinations in Asia.
The electronics manufacturer LG Display suspended work at a smartphone screen factory in Gumi, South Korea, after someone nearby got sick, Reuters reports.
A bank worker near the factory reportedly tested positive for coronavirus.The company expects to resume production on March 3.
Facebookcanceled its developer conference late last week as a precaution to protect its workers from coronavirus.
The eventwas scheduled to start on May 5th. Instead, the social networking giant will host local events and livestream content to bring developers together.
This story is developing.
Follow Dalvin Brown on Twitter: @Dalvin_Brown.
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Twitter suspends travel as the business world grapples with spreading coronavirus - USA TODAY
