More than a week after Apple closed three of its retail stores following increased COVID-19 exposures and cases among employees, it has temporarily closed seven additional retail locations across the United States and Canada. Prior to that, the tech giant reportedly closed a store in Southlake, Texas after 22 retail employees tested positive for COVID-19.
Apple closes seven additional retail locations due to ongoing pandemic
As new cases of the coronavirus variant continue to rise, Apple has temporarily closed seven of its retail locations across the United States and Canada. The following locations have been temporarily shut down:
- Dadeland in Maiami, Florida
- The Gardens Mall in Palm Beach, Florida
- Lenox Square in Atlanta, Georgia
- Highland Village in Houston, Texas
- Summit Mall in Akron, Ohio
- Pheasant Lane in Nashua, New Hampshire
- Sainte-Catherine in Montreal, Quebec
A week prior, the tech giant temporarily shuttered three of its locations in the U.S. and Canada: Brickell City Centre in Miami; Annapolis, Maryland; and downtown Ottawa.
On December 14, Apple reinstated its mask requirement for customers visiting an Apple Store in the United States and told employees to begin limiting how many customers it will allow in its stores at one time. Apple had ended the mask mandate in early November due to a drop in new cases and increased vaccination.
“We regularly monitor conditions and we will adjust our health measures to support the well-being of customers and employees,” Apple said in a statement. “We remain committed to a comprehensive approach for our teams that combines regular testing with daily health checks, employee and customer masking, deep cleaning, and paid sick leave.”
Since reopening all of its retail store locations earlier this year, the company has yet to shut down its entire in-store operation despite the dramatic rise in new coronavirus cases accredited to the delta variant. Instead, the company shutters individual locations based on circumstance.
Apple recently had to delay its employees’ return to offices, once again. After multiple delays, it was decided that employees would return to offices on February 1, 2022, however that has been put on hold indefinitely. While the company has not decided when its staff will return to the office, it has given them $1000 dollars to upgrade their devices and ensure smooth workflow at home.
via AppleInsider
