E32020

This year's upcoming E3 conference is under threat as its host city, Los Angeles, has today declared a state of emergency over the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.

Governor Gavin Newsom made the call after a California man sadly lost his life to the virus while onboard a cruise ship. The action has caused E3 event organiser Entertainment Software Association to issue a revised statement from the one shared last week, which originally noted that the show was "moving ahead full speed". Here's the new statement:

"The health and safety of our attendees, exhibitors, partners, and staff is our top priority. While the ESA continues to plan for a safe and successful E3 show June 9-11, 2020—we are monitoring and evaluating the situation daily.

Our E3 team and partners continue to monitor COVID-19 via the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). We are actively assessing the latest information and will continue to develop measures to further reduce health risks at the show.

Again, please know that we will continue to evaluate new developments and provide updates, as needed."

At present, the show is still expected to go ahead - albeit it with safety measures in place - although it wouldn't be surprising to see this change should the situation get much worse. Numerous events around the world have already been impacted either voluntarily, like the postponement of GDC, or as a government-issued safety measure such as future sporting events across Italy.

We'll make sure to keep an eye out for more news regarding E3 2020 as the situation develops.

[source e3expo.com, via eurogamer.net]