Mobile World Congress will proceed without vaccination requirements

Enlarge / Crowds view new smartphones at a prior MWC event. (credit: LGEPR. License: CC BY 2.0)

Mobile World Congress (MWC) will move forward this year, but vaccination will not be required for attendance when the Barcelona event takes place in June, according to organizers.

"Our view is it would be great if the world was vaccinated, but we can't rely on that in 2021, so instead we're relying on testing upfront to ensure our bubble isn't just the Fira Gran Via but the whole of Barcelona," global mobile tech industry association GSMA's CEO, John Hoffman, told Mobile World Live.

Attendees must test negative for COVID-19 within 72 hours of the event, with testing available on site. Further, the event's organizers claim they will use some form of "technology" to create a "touchless environment" at the event, which is often at least partially focused on handling smartphones and other devices with touchscreens.

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