Apple closing all of its stores outside China till March 27

Apple today released an official statement on its website. The message highlighted its decisions and learning on the recent outbreak of COVID-19 which originated in Wuhan, China. Interestingly, the outbreak has been contained well in Greater China.

In its statement, Apple showed its belief in technology which can change the lives of people and prove to be a life savior. It said it is committed to improving technology to contain the outbreak. The closure of Apple stores in Greater China and the pro-active contribution of the Chinese Government and other companies resulted in no new cases in the area. Other parts of the world though have been struggling to contain the same.

Apple has been committed to making donations to the global COVID-19 response; both to help treat those who are sick and to help lessen the economic and community impacts of the pandemic. As per the statement, its donations have reached $15 million worldwide.

Apple said that it is committed to making flexible work arrangements worldwide outside of Greater China. That means team members could work remotely if their job allows, and if work requires them to be on-site, they must follow guidelines to maximize interpersonal space. It also said, “Extensive, deep cleaning will continue at all sites. In all our offices, we are rolling out new health screenings and temperature checks.”

Further, the response quoted, “We will be closing all of our retail stores outside of Greater China until March 27. We are committed to providing exceptional service to our customers. Our online stores are open at www.apple.com, or you can download the Apple Store app on the App Store. For service and support, customers can visit support.apple.com. I want to thank our extraordinary Retail teams for their dedication to enriching our customers’ lives. We are all so grateful to you.”