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UPDATE: 2020 Geneva Motor Show Still On Track Despite Coronavirus Woes

Next week, the 2020 Geneva Motor Show opens its doors to the media. The most important automotive event in Europe won’t be stopped in its tracks by the coronavirus panic that led to the cancellation of the Mobile World Congress, yet the organizers and exhibitors are taking precautions.
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Photo: Stefan Baldauf/SB-Medien
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Mere days after an Italdesign employee was diagnosed with COVID-19, Swiss health minister Mauro Poggia said during a press conference that it would be dishonest to claim that Geneva is safe from the disease. The show, however, must go on. The organizers as well as the convention center’s managers have agreed that a few measures have to be taken.

Visitors and exhibitors should ensure they have exhibited no signs of the coronavirus 14 days prior to attending, and the Swiss Ministry of Health will provide hand sanitizers for everyone. The event attracts approximately 660,000 visitors yearly, and according to the organizers, the situation will be regularly monitored by the authorities and medical staff to make sure that COVID-19 doesn’t make an appearance as well.

This is rather curious considering that the International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva has been postponed from March to September 2020. “The epidemic of coronavirus in Asia" is one thing, but the exhibition has "a strong presence of inventions from China and Hong Kong.”

A statement issued by the Palexpo convention center highlights that almost 50 percent of exhibitors come from Asia, and a third of them originate from China. The 2020 Geneva Motor Show will also feature Chinese automakers such as Aiways and Changan, which is rather unnerving for the uninformed.

It should be highlighted that the global outbreak of COVID-19 is also responsible for xenophobia and racism against people of Asian descent. It’s easy to judge a book by its cover, and the spread of hate - fueled by misinformation and fake news - doesn’t help either.

Proper hygiene is the most effective way of protecting yourself against the coronavirus. Experts recommend washing your hands regularly and thoroughly, maintain a distance of at least one meter between yourself and another person, and practice respiratory hygiene - a.k.a. cover your mouth when sneezing. Those who have breathing difficulties, cough frequently, or fever are recommended to seek medical care early.

UPDATE (28th February 2020):

Unfortunately no, the show mustn't go on. More details about the cancellation can be found in the following press release.
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press release
About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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