- Apple had begun to reopen its stores in the US, but as coronavirus infections begin to spike around the country, Apple is re-closing some of its retail stores in four states.
- Apple will close 11 stores in Florida, Arizona, North Carolina, and South Carolina this week.
- Apple says that it is taking this step out of “an abundance of caution” for customers and staff.
If you’re looking for a sure sign that your state is headed in the wrong direction during this pandemic, look no further than retailers closing up shop and forgoing profits due to safety concerns. On Friday, Apple announced that it would be closing 11 retail stores that had previously reopened out of “an abundance of caution.”
11 Apple Stores in Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Arizona will close starting this Saturday. Customers who have products at any of the affected locations for repairs will have an opportunity to get them back this weekend, but starting next week, the stores will close for a second time this year due to the virus. Apple had closed every store in the US back in March, but more than 150 have reopened as America restarts its economy.
“Due to current Covid-19 conditions in some of the communities we serve, we are temporarily closing stores in these areas,” Apple announced in a statement. “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.”
Here is a list of all the Apple retail stores that will be closing once again this coming weekend:
Arizona
- Chandler Fashion Center
- Scottsdale Fashion Square
- Arrowhead
- SanTan Village
- Scottsdale Quarter
- La Encantada
Florida
- Waterside Shops
- Coconut Point
North Carolina
- Southpark
- Northlake Mall
South Carolina
- Haywood Mall
Looking at the infection rates in each of these four states, it’s not difficult to figure out why Apple is taking such drastic measures. Florida broke its daily record three times this week, culminating with a spike of over 3,800 cases on Friday. A report from scientists at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania suggests that Florida has “all the makings of the next large epicenter.” Arizona is in a similar situation, with 3,246 cases reported on Friday, which breaks the state’s previous record of 2,519 from just twenty-four hours earlier.
Meanwhile, North Carolina and South Carolina are continuing to tick up at a steady rate as well, alongside nearly two dozen other states that have failed to “flatten the curve.” If states like Florida and Arizona do not take any measures to mitigate the spread, expect even more companies to take matters into their own hands to protect their employees and their customers. Don’t be surprised if more states are added to this list next week.
