Apple Inc announced on Monday that it has temporarily shut down 12 retail stores in New York City due to a surge in Covid-19 cases caused by the Omicron variant. The affected stores include those located at Fifth Avenue, Grand Central, and SoHo. As a result, customers will only be able to pick up online orders at these locations, according to an Apple spokesperson.
This isn’t the first time Apple has faced closures due to the pandemic. Earlier this month, the tech giant also temporarily shut down three stores in the United States and Canada after an increase in Covid-19 cases and employee exposures. In response to rising cases, Apple also enforced a mask mandate for all customers and employees at its US retail stores.
The impact of the Omicron variant extends beyond Apple, as major companies worldwide have tightened their protocols in response to concerns over the variant. In the United States, a nationwide vaccine-or-testing Covid-19 mandate for large businesses covering 80 million American workers was reinstated by a US appeals court earlier this month. However, opponents of the move have sought intervention from the Supreme Court.
The latest closures and mandates are a reflection of the ongoing challenges faced by businesses and individuals as they navigate through the continued impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and its variants.
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