Apple Shutters New York City Stores As Omicron Spreads

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Omicron coronavirus outbreak forces Apple to close all of its 12 New York City retail locations, the company announced on Monday.

However, consumers ordering online are not barred from picking up their purchases outside of those locations, according to the company's website on Monday.

Apple's stock ended the day up 2.3% at $180.33.

The company's Fifth Avenue, SoHo, Grand Central, and World Trade Center sites will be closed to shoppers due to an increase of Covid-19 c.

As it battles the highly contagious omicron strain, Apple has temporarily closed several locations recently, but with the New York closure, the company is trying a new approach.

Customers can still place orders online and pick them up in-store. Shoppers will be unable to enter the shop to explore or make purchases, and the Genius Bar will be unavailable.

Apple noted in a statement that it evaluates situations on a daily basis and would alter both its health measures and store offerings to enhance the wellbeing of customers and employees.

Apple announced earlier this month that it would close three locations in the United States and Canada temporarily in the face of an increase in COVID-19 infections and exposures among store staff.

Customers would be obliged to wear masks when visiting retail stores, the business announced two weeks ago. Previously, Apple required masks exclusively in regions with mandatory requirements.



The company stated that it is still committed to a complete approach for its teams, which includes frequent testing, daily health checks, deep cleaning, and paid sick leave.

In addition, the tech giant has closed several retail sites outside of New York in recent days, including ones in Los Angeles. This includes the Tower Theatre shop in the city.

Concerns about the Omicron variant have caused big corporations around the world to improve security systems.

Earlier this month, a U.S. court ordered the reinstatement of a nationwide COVID-19 vaccine-or-testing obligation for large enterprises, which affects 80 million American workers.

Opponents of the move have raced to the Supreme Court, requesting that the reinstatement be reversed.

According to Bloomberg, Apple normally closes a store when 10% of its staff test positive for the coronavirus.

COVID cases in New York have reached all-time highs, with the state reporting tens of thousands of new cases per day.

On Monday, the city of New York announced a near-record number of new coronavirus cases. According to Mayor Bill de Blasio, the city's hospitalization rate has more than doubled in the last week due to an increase in people infected with the omicron strain.