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Amazon, Facebook to drop CES plans on COVID-19 concern
CES, which serves as an annual showcase of new trends and gadgets in the technology industry has attracted more than 180,000 people from around the world to a sprawling array of casinos and convention spaces in the past.
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In this file photo taken on January 10, 2019, attendees walk through the hall at the Sands Expo Convention Center during CES 2019 consumer electronics show in Las Vegas, Nevada. The screens will be bigger and bolder, the cars will be smarter and some of the technology will be up-close and personal -- even intimate. The 2020 Consumer Electronics Show opening in Las Vegas will be crammed with the latest in connected devices, from light bulbs to underwear, along with the newest technology for automobiles, health and wellness, smart homes, retailing and more. (Agence France Presse/Robyn Beck)
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mazon, Facebook parent Meta Platforms, Twitter and Pinterest will not send teams to the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas as concerns grow about Omicron, the firms said on Tuesday.
CES, which serves as an annual showcase of new trends and gadgets in the technology industry has attracted more than 180,000 people from around the world to a sprawling array of casinos and convention spaces in the past.
Amazon and its smart-home unit Ring said they would not be onsite at next month's event due to the "quickly shifting situation and uncertainty around the Omicron variant" of coronavirus, the firm's spokesperson told Reuters in an email.
Bloomberg News first reported that Amazon and Ring had decided against in-person presence at the show.
US wireless carrier and conference sponsor T-Mobile also said the vast majority of its contingent would no longer be going and its chief executive would not deliver a keynote speech.
"We are prioritizing the safety of our team and other attendees with this decision," T-Mobile said, while expressing confidence that CES organizers were taking exhaustive protective measures.
The other companies had not planned large in-person gatherings.
The Consumer Technology Association, which runs CES, said on Tuesday the show would run from Jan. 5 to Jan. 8. Health precautions would include vaccination requirements, masking and the availability of COVID-19 tests, it added.
Twitter had planned to have some employees attend, to participate on panels. However, both Twitter and Facebook have said they are now exploring online opportunities.
Pinterest, before canceling, had planned a scaled-down meeting area for its sales and partner teams, compared to years past.
But many companies, such as Qualcomm, Sony Electronics and Alphabet's Google and self-driving vehicle unit Waymo have said they are sticking with plans to attend and show off new hardware or host meetings.
On Tuesday, General Motors said Chief Executive Mary Barra is still set to introduce the US automaker's electric Silverado pickup truck and discuss company strategy in person at the conference on Jan. 5.
Other companies had long ago planned for virtual presences, among them chipmaker Nvidia Corp, which is having two executives deliver a keynote address by video
