We heard yesterday that Samsung at this stage planned to continue with their MWC presence and now they have stated that Unpacked 2020 will proceed as planned but there will be measures in place to minimise any risk from any Coronavirus transmission.
In an email to attendees over the weekend Samsung stated that the “health and safety of our event attendees is our number one priority” and that they were closely monitoring developments with the virus. The additional precautions in place at Unpacked 2020 were also outlined:
Hand sanitizer stations will be available throughout the venue and thermal imaging cameras will be placed at all venue entrances, and face masks will be available upon request. In an effort to protect the health and well-being of attendees, anyone who displays unusual or extreme respiratory symptoms will be asked to consult with medical supervisors onsite.
It seems a very thorough plan by Samsung and there is no doubt that the high temperatures caused by the virus could be picked up by the scanners and having medical staff on site is also a plan that will put a lot people at ease. Face masks are only available upon request but their usefulness depends on the type of mask given out. Surgical masks are useless for those wish to prevent infection from others. Hand sanitising gel though is always a good measure when talking about any infection or transmission of disease.
Samsung also remind attendees in their letter about the restrictions by US customs for anyone trying to enter the country if they have been in China in the past two weeks. Non-US citizens are restricted from entering the US if they have visited China in the past 14 days.
It is good to see Samsung taking these measures and the event going ahead. The measures will no doubt put a lot of attendees at ease and they can focus on what matters — checking out the latest gear from Samsung.
