In a letter posted on the event website, organizers of the China International Furniture Fair (CIFF) announced that the event, scheduled for March 18-21, has been postponed due to concerns about the coronavirus. The China International Furniture Machinery & Furniture Raw Materials Fair, scheduled for March 28-31, has also been postponed.
“As China is fighting a serious battle against the novel coronavirus, prevention and control of the epidemic is the country’s most important work for now. Following the Chinese government’s guidelines to contain the virus, the Department of Commerce of Guangdong Province and Guangzhou Municipal Commerce Bureau recently announced that all large-scale economic and trade events should be suspended,” the letter said.
According to NPR, the World Health Organization has declared the coronavirus a global health emergency, and the U.S. State Department has advised Americans to not travel to China. Several airlines have either suspended or announced plans to suspend service to and from mainland China.
The virus has infected more than 7,800 people in 22 countries, and more than 200 people in China have died.
