Big tech companies including Google, Microsoft, and Amazon have taken measures to protect their staff from infection.

This week has seen multiple global companies pull out of China or take new measures to protect their employees from the novel coronavirus. Google was the first big tech company to close down its offices. All Google offices in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan have been shut down. Many employees at big tech companies are being asked to extend their Lunar New Year vacations and work at home as much as possible.

Google has taken the most drastic measures of all the big tech companies. Google employees are being stopped from taking all planned trips to China and Hong Kong. Google employees in China are being asked to leave as soon as possible. After they leave, they are asked to stay home and work at home for at least two weeks. Google has four offices in mainland China, but the company hasn’t disclosed how many employees work there. Google is unavailable in China, but the company has offices dedicated to sales and engineering for its advertising services.

Microsoft and Amazon have taken similar measures to Google to avoid infections. Also, Toyota and General Motors have both extended their Lunar New Year plant closures.