"The step was taken as an additional safety measure to
the current health protocols that have been put in place for CES," the
event organiser Consumer Technology Association (CTA) said on Friday,
announcing the event will now end on January 7.
The spread of the highly transmissible Omicron variant has
led to a sharp jump in COVID-19 infections across the world, making many
reconsider their travel plans and leading to thousands of flight cancellations.
The number of new COVID-19 cases in the US has doubled in
eight days to a record high of 329,000 a day on average, according to a Reuters
tally.
As worries over the new variant loom, many companies have
withdrawn from presenting in-person at the event, planned both virtually and
in-person, that begins on January 5 with over 2,200 exhibitors.
Over the last few days, a host of firms including Advanced
Micro Devices (AMD), Proctor & Gamble, Alphabet's Google, Facebook parent
Meta Platforms have also dropped their in-person plans.
Sony Group's Sony Electronics has said it will have limited
staffing and attendees at the event.
All attendees in Las Vegas will be required to be fully
vaccinated and masked. COVID-19 test kits will also be provided at the venue,
according to CTA's statement. © Reuters