(Reuters) – JPMorgan Chase & Co has moved its annual healthcare conference, set to be held next month, online as concerns mount over the fast-spreading Omicron variant of the coronavirus.
In an email to participants on Wednesday, the Wall Street bank said the event that was previously slated to happen in person in San Francisco between Jan. 10 and 13 would now be held virtually.
The move came after reports that drugmakers such as Sarepta Therapeutics Inc and Moderna Inc had pulled out of what is considered to be the healthcare sector’s biggest financial event, citing COVID-19 concerns.
Rising coronavirus cases in recent weeks have prompted major companies to take steps to protect their staff, with JPMorgan and Jefferies Financial Group asking their employees to work remotely.
(Reporting by Oishee Majumdar in Bengaluru and Carl O’Donnell in New York; Editing by Aditya Soni)
