Coronavirus hits tech companies: Google employee tests positive

Jessica Guynn | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Is the U.S. prepared for a coronavirus pandemic? A previous version of this video incorrectly stated how many people the 1918 Spanish influenza killed.

A Google employee in Switzerland has tested positive for the coronavirus and the internet giant is restricting travel amid growing concerns about the spread of the deadly outbreak.

The employee was in the company's Zurich office "for a limited time," and did not have symptoms at the time, Google said in a statement. The Zurich office remains open.

"We have taken – and will continue to take – all necessary precautionary measures, following the advice of public health officials, as we prioritize everyone’s health and safety," the company said.

The outbreak has roiled the tech world. Major tech companies from Facebook to Amazon.com are dropping out of industry conferences and restricting travel for employees.

This week, Facebook announced it would cancel its annual F8 developers conference, citing coronavirus outbreak.

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According to an update on the social network's Facebook for Developers website, the company said they will use a combination of locally-hosted events, videos and live-streamed content to bring developers together.

Google informed employees by email that a colleague had tested positive for the virus, which causes the disease COVID-19, according to Business Insider.

Google has also restricted travel to Iran, two regions in Italy and, starting March, will ban travel to Japan and South Korea.

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The World Health Organization on Friday increased its coronavirus risk assessment to "very high" as cases outside of China continue to increase. But officials caution the virus can still be contained if the chain of transmission can be broken.

The coronavirus outbreak has infected more than 83,000 people and killed nearly 3,000 people globally as of Friday morning.

China, though hardest hit, has seen lower numbers of new infections, with 327 additional cases reported Friday, bringing the country's total to 78,824. South Korea has recorded 2,337 cases, the most outside of China.