Top European motor show to go ahead despite COVID-19 concerns

The organizers of one of Europe's largest auto shows are closely monitoring the novel coronavirus outbreak and the COVID-19 disease it causes.

The Geneva International Motor Show, which usually attracts around 600,000 visitors to the Swiss city, is set to run between March 5 and March 15. But, following the recent cancellation of the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, all eyes turned to the organizers of the event, the Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d'Automobiles, to see what they will do.

The Guardian newspaper reports that Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Renault, and the United Kingdom's Aston Martin and Bentley have all said they would like to attend the event, if it goes ahead.

Laura Manon, a spokesperson for the show, told The Press Association: "We are carefully looking at the situation and taking advice from health organizations here in Geneva and the World Health Organization with regards to our show. As it stands today, the motor show is still going ahead."

She said less than 1 percent of those who visit the event, which has been a fixture since 1905, come from outside Europe.

"But we are aware the coronavirus situation is changing by the hour," she added.

The event's organizers said in a statement on their website that they will carry out extra cleaning and disinfecting during the event if it does indeed go ahead, in order to ensure the virus does not become a problem. Staff and visitors will also be bombarded with information on ways to reduce the risk of passing or getting an infection.

The statement said: "The current situation in Switzerland is rather reassuring－none of the samples tested so far has been positive for the novel coronavirus."

But, despite the current intention for the show to go ahead as planned, Manon said the event could still end up being cancelled, if the situation deteriorates.

"We advise visitors and exhibitors to monitor our website carefully for any updates on the show's status," she added.

Autocar has reported that the Beijing motor show, which usually attracts around 800,000 visitors, could be postponed because of the virus. That event is held each April.

The World Health Organization has said individual countries should make up their own minds about whether to allow large events to go ahead in light of the outbreak of the novel coronavirus.

"There is no evidence at present to suggest that there is community spread outside China, so WHO is not currently requesting that large gatherings are cancelled," an unnamed spokesperson told PA.