Coronavirus hits Google, tech giant cancels its annual flagship event Google I/O
In the wake of coronavirus pandemic, Google stated that the buyers will get a full refund of the passes, and get an automatic entry into Google I/O 2021.
In the light of the epidemic coronavirus (COVID-19), that is rattling the world at the moment, Google has announced that it cancelled its flagship tech conference Google I/O this year. The announcement followed suit after Barcelona's Mobile World Congress and Facebook's F8 developer conference were also cancelled.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai on-stage during Google I/O 2018.
The flagship event is a dream-come-true for every mobile app developer and technology enthusiast as it brings new tools to leverage and enhance the work of the developer community.
In a statement, Google said,
"Due to concerns around the coronavirus (COVID-19), and in accordance with health guidance from the CDC, WHO, and other health authorities, we have decided to cancel the physical Google I/O event at Shoreline Amphitheatre. All guests who have purchased tickets to I/O 2020 will receive a full refund by March 13, 2020. Guests who have registered for I/O 2020 will not need to enter next year’s drawing and will be automatically granted the option of purchasing an I/O 2021 ticket."
According to a UN report, the trade impact of the coronavirus epidemic for India is estimated to be about $348 million, and the country figures among the top 15 economies most affected as the slowdown of manufacturing in China disrupts the world trade.
Estimates published by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) suggests that the slowdown of manufacturing in China due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak is disrupting world trade and could result in a $50 billion decrease in exports across global value chains. The most affected sectors include precision instruments, machinery, automotive, and communication equipment.
Across the world, there have been more than 90,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus in more than 70 countries (the majority in China) and over 3,000 deaths.
Among the most affected economies are the European Union ($15.6 billion), the US ($5.8 billion), Japan ($5.2 billion), South Korea ($3.8 billion), Taiwan province of China ($2.6 billion), and Vietnam ( $2.3 billion).
In India, the trade impact is estimated to be the most for the chemicals sector at $129 million, textiles and apparel at $64 million, automotive sector at $34 million, electrical machinery at $12 million, leather products at $13 million, metals and metal products at $27 million, and wood products and furniture at $15 million.
(Edited by Suman Singh)