Mike Peterson
Apple has temporarily shuttered three of its retail locations in the U.S. and Canada after a huge jump in employee Covid-19 exposures and confirmed cases.
The company closed the Brickell City Centre location in Miami, the Apple Store in Annapolis, Maryland, and its brick-and-mortar store in downtown Ottawa, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday.
Earlier in December, a Covid-19 outbreak among employees of a Texas Apple Store forced the Cupertino tech giant to shut it down.
In each case, Apple says that all employees will be required to take Covid-19 tests before the stores reopen.
"We regularly monitor conditions and we will adjust our health measures to support the well-being of customers and employees," Apple told Bloomberg. "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."
The trio of store closures is the latest sign that a resurgence in Covid-19 cases could threaten Apple's retail footprint just head of the busy holiday shopping season.
On Tuesday, Apple reinstated its policy requiring all customers to wear masks while visiting an Apple Store. Additionally, Apple said it would also be limiting occupancy at "several" of its retail locations.
Since reopening all of its Apple Store locations earlier in 2021, the company has yet to close down its entire retail operations. Instead, Apple shutters individual stores on a case-by-case basis.
Charles Martin
Malcolm Owen
Andrew O'Hara
William Gallagher
