Europe

We've already seen several gaming events cancelled, postponed, or otherwise affected by the coronavirus outbreak, and today sees a familiar fate for the 2020 Pokémon Europe International Championships.

In a statement issued today, The Pokémon Company says that the safety of everyone involved is its top priority:

"The safety and well-being of our community, both competitors and organizers, is our top priority. While we prefer never to see an event get postponed or canceled, out of an abundance of caution and pursuant to the current recommendations set forth by public health officials, we have canceled the 2020 Pokémon Europe International Championships.

We want to thank the Play! Pokémon community for its continued interest in our competitive events and appreciate everyone's support and understanding during these unique circumstances. Please visit https://www.pokemon.com/us/play-pokemon/ or follow @PlayPokemon on Twitter for updates and more information on Play! Pokémon events. If you have additional questions, please contact Pokémon Customer Service.

The official website answers some more specific questions for those who were planning on attending or competing in any championship events, including info on tracking down which local events may or may not also be cancelled.

The Pokémon Company has made it clear that there have been no reports directly linking any cases of the virus with its events, but it is taking precautionary measures even at those events which are still going ahead. As an example, the requirement to shake hands before and after matches has been scrapped for the time being, and hand-sanitisers will be made available to attendees.

[source pokemon.com]