Apple is temporarily closing three stores, in Miami, Annapolis, and Ottawa, amid a surge in Covid cases among staff members, the company confirmed Wednesday.
Apple, one of the first national retailers to shutter brick-and-mortar locations during the coronavirus pandemic, said it will continue to monitor and adjust its health measures to support the well-being of customers and employees. They are requiring all retail employees who work at the stores that are shuttered to take a Covid test before returning to work. The company is also limiting the number of customers who can be in a store at one time, according to Bloomberg. Apple's sick leave policy allows retail staff to take paid time off if they’re experiencing coronavirus symptoms.
Earlier this week, the tech giant reinstated a mask mandate for customers at every retail store in the United States.
On Dec. 8, an Apple store in Southlake, Texas, closed for five days after 22 employees tested positive for the disease following a busy shopping day on black Friday. Four employees said their manager had previously asked them to come in after they called out sick.
According to Apple's website, the Miami store will reopen on Friday and the Ottawa and Annapolis stores will reopen on Saturday.
An Apple spokesperson said: “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.”
