In the wake of the news that Nintendo Switch sales in Japan will be affected by the coronavirus outbreak, Nintendo of America has confirmed that the company doesn’t believe there will be any impact on product sales in North America and Europe.
Nintendo previously issued an apology for “inevitable” production and shipment delays of Nintendo Switch consoles and accessories, along with copies of Ring-Fit Adventure, saying that coronavirus was affecting production.
It has now been confirmed that these delays are only affecting products produced in China and sold in Japan. Speaking to Kotaku, a spokesperson for Nintendo of America issued the following statement:
We can confirm that the manufacturing of some Nintendo products for the Japanese market has been delayed due to the impact of 2019-nCoV coronavirus outbreak. Nintendo does not anticipate a significant impact on our broader global supply chain for systems and accessories at this time, and product sales in North America and Europe, including preorders, are not affected. We would like to express our concern and support for all those affected by the coronavirus during this challenging time.
While the pre-order date for the new Animal Crossing: New Horizons themed Switch in Japan has been pushed back, pre-orders for the console in the West are unaffected.
The Switch isn’t the only thing suffering from production issues due to the coronavirus outbreak – Facebook has stated that it expects delays in Oculus Quest production because of the virus.
The Outer Worlds has also seen its Switch port pushed back indefinitely thanks to coronavirus affecting the offices of the Virtuos team working on the game. Publisher Private Division has confirmed that the team is okay, but the offices have been closed because of the risk from the outbreak.
Remember that you can help prevent yourself catching certain illnesses by using safe hygiene practices. These include things like frequently washing your hands with soap and water, covering your mouth when coughing or sneezing and immediately sanitising your hands after, avoiding close contact with those who are sick, and ensuring you cook all your food properly prior to consumption.