The technology giant Apple announced yesterday, Saturday, the closure of its stores outside China for two weeks and will only sell online as part of efforts to contain the new coronavirus pandemic.
“In our workplaces and communities, we must do everything we can to prevent the spread of COVID-19,” CEO Tim Cook tweeted Saturday. “Apple will temporarily close all of its stores outside the Greater China region until March 27 and will allocate $ 15 million to aid in the global recovery.”
In a more extensive online statement, Cook detailed that Apple’s stores in China have now reopened, noting that what the company has learned there has helped with the development of “best practices that we are greatly promoting in our global response.” .
One of the lessons Apple learned in China is that “the most effective way to minimize risks of virus transmission is to reduce density and maximize social distancing,” he said. That is why the company is taking new measures to protect your workers and clients as the infection rate increases elsewhere.
The online Apple store remains operational. Workers will continue to receive their salary and administrative staff will work remotely if possible, Cook said in a statement released on Friday.
The company has more than 500 retail stores worldwide, and about half are in the United States. The company temporarily closed all 42 stores in mainland China in the face of the outbreak of the new virus in the country.
The announcement was made hours after Apple claimed that its annual Worldwide Developers conference would be fully virtual this year. Thousands of engineers and customers attend the event in San Jose, California, which is in its 31st year.
The virus has infected more than 145,000 people worldwide. Most patients have only moderate symptoms and recover fully, but older people or those with previous conditions are particularly vulnerable. More than 5,400 have died.
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