The Mayor of Boston has formally requested the Sony Corporation to reconsider its decision to pull out of an upcoming gaming showcase.
Mayor Marty Walsh sent a letter to Kenichiro Yoshida, Sony's president and chief executive officer, Friday after the entertainment giant announced Wednesday that it would be canceling its appearance at PAX East while citing fears about exposure to COVID-19, the novel coronavirus.
"We felt this was the safest option as the situation is changing daily," company officials wrote in a statement posted Wednesday. "We are disappointed to cancel our participation in this event, but the health and safety of our global workforce is our highest concern."
In his letter, Walsh said the risk of contracting the coronavirus in Boston and Massachusetts remains extremely low and that officials have no reason to believe that anyone should cancel their plans to visit the city.
The mayor also said that fears about the coronavirus are fueled by confusion and lack of information, which has led to the growth of anti-Chinese and anti-Asian sentiment in Boston and around the country.
"These fears reinforce harmful stereotypes that generations of Asians have worked hard to dismantle," reads Walsh's letter. "They trigger our worst impulses: to view entire groups of people with suspicion, to close ourselves off, and to miss out on the opportunities and connections our global city provides. Boston is united in our efforts to dispel these harmful and misguided fears."
https://www.wcvb.com/article/boston-mayor-marty-walsh-formally-asks-sony-to-reconsider-pulling-out-of-pax-east-gaming-showcase/31057117