Intel quizzed attendees to a big meeting on possible coronavirus exposure, before ultimately deciding to postpone it

Reuters/Sergio Perez

A visitor passes an Intel logo at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain.

• Intel has postponed Intel Labs Day, an event meant to highlight its latest research. How the tech giant arrived at the decision highlights the uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus crisis.
• Intel had initially tried to push through with the gathering where roughly 100 people, including Intel's top researchers and members of the media, were expected to attend.
• The company had quizzed would-be attendees on whether they had been to the the countries most seriously affected by the virus, including China, South Korea and Italy.
• They were also asked: "Have you been within 2 meters (approx. six feet) for 30 minutes or more of anyone confirmed to be sick with the Coronavirus in the last 14 days."
• Intel eventually decided that it was more prudent to postpone the meeting.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories

Intel Labs Day became another casualty of the coronavirus crisis after the tech giant decided to postpone a big R&D meeting with its top researchers and the media.

How Intel came to that decision underscores the uncertainty surrounding the crisis, which has led some tech companies and organizations to embrace more cautious policies.

Intel initially had tried to push through with the event which had been expected to attract roughly 100 people, much smaller than other major tech gatherings that have been called off.

To prepare for the event, Intel had quizzed would-be attendees about their possible exposure to the virus.

They were asked to "confirm" that they have not visited Hong Kong, Macau, Mainland China, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, or Italy, and that they were not going to those countries before the meeting.

They were also asked: "Have you been within 2 meters (approx. six feet) for 30 minutes or more of anyone confirmed to be sick with the Coronavirus in the last 14 days."

But Intel subsequently announced that Intel Labs Day had been postponed "after careful consideration," an email from Intel's media relations team said.

Other major tech events have been postponed or cancelled, incuding Facebook's F8 conference and the Game Developers Conference.

Got a tip about Intel or another tech company? Contact this reporter via email at bpimentel@businessinsider.com, message him on Twitter @benpimentel or send him a secure message through Signal at (510)

Get the latest Intel stock price here.

NOW WATCH: How this Holocaust survivor became a tailor for US presidents and celebrities