Swiss anti-viral ban on large events hits Geneva car show head-on (updated)
28/02/2020 09:30
* Swiss ban all events likely to draw 1,000 people until
March 15
* Extraordinary measure aims to curb spread of novel
coronavirus
* Car show cancellation could cost local economy millions
(Adds hotelier comments, market reaction)
By Michael Shields
ZURICH, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Switzerland on Friday banned
large events expected to draw more than 1,000 people in a drive
to curb the new coronavirus epidemic, prompting cancellation of
the Geneva car show and grumbling from businesses watching
demand vanish.
The move aimed to avoid throngs in confined places like
concert halls, sports events and carnival parades. It did not -
at least for now - apply to train stations or shopping malls,
where people have only fleeting contact.
Officials from the Palexpo venue forced to cancel the major
10-day car show starting next week said they understood the move
but that it could cost the local economy up to 250 million Swiss
francs ($256 million) in lost business.
"The economic impact for the city and region is tremendous,"
said Lars Wagner, general manager of the luxury Hotel
Beau-Rivage Genève.
"Not only does this impact hotels, but also auxiliary
revenues such as hotel restaurant bookings, cocktail and
catering events, and other revenues."
As cancellations from guests started rolling in, another
Geneva hotelier called the situation "a nightmare".
The Swiss government declared a "special situation" under
the country's Epidemics Act, enabling it to order measures that
are normally the responsibility of the regional cantons.
"Large-scale events involving more than 1,000 people are to
be banned. The ban comes into immediate effect and will apply at
least until 15 March," the cabinet said.
Dozens of trade fairs and industry conferences around the
world have been postponed or cancelled due to travel curbs and
concerns about the spread of the coronavirus. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL4N2AC27Q
The annual Engadin ski marathon in eastern Switzerland, one
of the world's largest cross-country skiing events with around
14,000 participants, had already been scrapped because of
concerns over the coronavirus outbreak. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL5N2AR8NO
The Swiss soccer league called off weekend matches, while
ice hockey teams were set to play before empty grandstands.
urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL5N2AS61G
Trade fair organiser MCH Group MCHN.S pulled the plug on
the Baselworld watch fair and garden shows, sending its shares
down more than 10%. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nFWN2AS0R2
Countries on three continents reported their first cases of
the coronavirus on Friday as the world prepared for a pandemic.
urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N2AR0AY
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Switzerland has
risen to 15, and more than 100 people are in quarantine,
government minister Alain Berset said.
"We have the situation under control, but this can change
very quickly," he told a news conference in Bern, adding the ban
would certainly hit the Swiss economy.
The blue-chip Swiss Market Index .SSMI fell 4.5% in late
trading amid a rout in financial markets over fears the virus's
spread could trigger a global recession.
($1 = 0.9763 Swiss francs)
(Additional reporting by Maya Nikolaeva and Gilles Guillaume in
Paris, Brenna Hughes Neghaiwi in Zurich, Ed Taylor in Frankfurt,
Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva, Joern Poltz in Munich; Editing by
Giles Elgood)
((Michael.Shields@thomsonreuters.com; +41 58 306 7461; Reuters
Messaging: michael.shields.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))