Apple has temporarily closed many stores in recent weeks as it copes with the highly contagious omicron variant, but it is trying a different approach with the New York shutdown. The company is still letting customers place orders online and pick them up at the stores. Shoppers will not be able to enter the store to browse or purchase anything onsite, and technical support from the Genius Bar will not be available.
“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.”
Covid-19 cases have spiked to all-time highs in New York, with the state reporting tens of thousands of new cases a day. Apple also has closed additional retail stores outside of New York in recent days, such as some locations in Los Angeles. That includes its downtown Los Angeles Tower Theatre store.
Apple did not say when its New York locations would reopen to shoppers. The company has also temporarily shut its Carnegie Library store in Washington, D.C., and some locations in Ohio, Texas, Georgia and Florida. Its Regent Street store in London has temporarily closed as well.
See also: Covid cases spike in Hong Kong, Singapore as new wave spreads
Photo: Bloomberg
