Doesn’t think the coronavirus is a giggling matter, so its Google division is dropping its yearly April Fools’ pratfalls “out of respect for all those fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.”

As per an internal memo first covered by Business Insider, Google is nixing its typical corporate light-hearted fare and is likewise asking representatives to “suss out those efforts and make sure your teams pause on any jokes they may have planned — internally or externally.”

A period and place for laughter

Google has run April Fools’ Day tricks for two decades – significantly after the September 11 terrorist attacks – and they for the most part range the entirety of its properties.

In any case, there has never been a national, not to mention worldwide, crisis running its course during the prompt time frame in front of the occasion.

While some have attempted to cancel April Fools’ jokes in past years for different reasons, others argue pulling pranks on companions, family, and partners – even on the web itself – is essentially innocuous enjoyment. During times of unwavering dismal news, it is a helpful alleviation valve, a kind of gallows humor that breaks the abusive anguish of the circumstance.

“Our highest goal right now is to be helpful to people, so let’s save the jokes for next April, which will undoubtedly be a whole lot brighter than this one,” Google’s internal memo said.

There is certainly some sense to Google delaying such celebrations, as it is busy ensuring critical, potential lifesaving data is promptly accessible on the web.