Apple Closes California Stores Due to Rising COVID-19 Cases
All 53 stores will be temporarily shut, though some in-store appointments may continue.
With COVID-19 cases on the rise across the state, Apple announced Saturday that it would close all of its California stores. The websites for each of the 53 outposts have been updated individually, as exceptions for preexisting in-store appointments and online pick-ups may apply. In the same release, the company noted 16 U.K. stores will also close per new restrictions on non-essential retail.
This news arrived just a day after Apple first announced it would institute closures. The company’s Friday statement, which detailed restrictions on 12 stores, caused Apple’s stock shares to drop shortly following.
Apple spoke on the decision to Reuters in an email statement: “Due to current COVID-19 conditions in some of the communities we serve, we are temporarily closing stores in these areas. We take this step with an abundance of caution as we closely monitor the situation and we look forward to having our teams and customers back as soon as possible.”
There is no end date set for the California closures, but U.K. government officials are set to reevaluate lockdown measures on December 30 which could deliver more clarity on retail closures across the pond.
Apple has been quite responsive to tracking the pandemic across its various markets, closing 11 stores across four states back in June in the midst of another spike in cases.
