An employee at Nintendo of America's Washington headquarters has tested positive for the COVID-19 novel coronavirus, according to a statement shared Thursday. Nintendo says that the affected employee came in contact with others at the company's headquarters in Redmond, WA prior to being tested for the illness.
Nintendo workers that came in contact with the affected individual have self-quarantined, regardless of whether they've displayed symptoms in line with COVID-19's known warning signs. The company has sent employees to work from home this week in both Washington and in California, where the outbreak has grown to the point of taking E3 2020 off the schedule, among numerous other cancellations and postponements.
"Nintendo of America is supporting this individual as they recover and will continue to take precautions to safeguard the health and well-being of all our employees and the broader community," Nintendo told the Seattle Times in the statement.
270 cases of the novel coronavirus have been confirmed in Seattle and the surrounding King County, with 27 deaths as of Thursday afternoon. Spread of the virus has grown significantly in the area in the past few weeks, forcing companies like Nintendo to introduce emergency countermeasures. Fellow Redmond employer Microsoft has taken similar steps to prevent employees from becoming infected, with plans to hold a digital Xbox E3 event in lieu of a full press conference and bringing its Build developer conference online as well.
The companies behind the Switch and Xbox aren't the area's only gaming giants affected by the coronavirus outbreak. Destiny 2 developer Bungie sent its staff home indefinitely to ward off potential exposure to the illness, and the Emerald City Comic-Con, originally scheduled for this weekend, won't be happening until an unspecified date in the summer. All large gatherings of 250 people or more have been forbidden by the King County government, and most area schools and businesses have been closed.
With enough confirmed cases across the globe to count as a pandemic by the World Health Organization, a growing number of new film releases and gaming events are having to find ways to continue without placing fans in potential danger of spreading COVID-19. Nintendo's ongoing slate of activities, including the release of the latest Animal Crossing title and a rumored Direct for later in March, still appears to be happening without change for now. It remains to be seen if things will stay that way, but in the meantime, keep those hands clean and stay vigilant out there.
Source: The Seattle Times