Apple closes all its New York stores amid rising Omicron threat in US

The Omicron variant of COVID-19 is spreading all over the world and New York has seen a significant surge in the cases, prompting the multinational technology company, Apple to close all of its New York City stores for shopping on Monday. As per the reports of the Insider, Apple stated that they are dedicated to a holistic approach for their staff that combines regular testing with daily health checks, employee and customer masks, deep cleaning, and paid sick leave. Apple has not stated when its stores in New York will reopen to the public stating that it is unknown how long the stores will be closed. But they also disclosed that clients who purchased products online can still pick them up in-store.

In addition, the Apple stores in the Carnegie Library store in Washington, DC, as well as certain sites in Ohio, Texas, Georgia, and Florida, have been temporarily closed. It has also temporarily closed its Regent Street location in London. Concerns about the Omicron variant have caused big corporations around the world to improve their security systems.

Customers would be obliged to wear masks

This is not the first time Apple has shut down stores due to an increase in COVID-19 cases, in reaction to the initial wave of the coronavirus pandemic in early 2020, Apple closed all of its retail stores in the United States. After reopening, the company established designated sanitation zones for consumers and required personnel to wear masks, according to CNBC. Now after the arrival of a new and more contagious variant, Omicron, Apple has again tightened its regulations. The company announced two weeks ago that customers would be obliged to wear masks when visiting their retail stores.

Earlier last month, a US court ordered the reinstatement of a nationwide COVID-19 vaccine-or-testing obligation for large enterprises, which affects 80 million American workers, according to Al Jazeera. However, many have raced to the Supreme Court, requesting that the reinstatement be overturned.

COVID-19 infections are increasing in New York City

As the more transmissible Omicron variant spreads, COVID-19 infections are increasing in New York City and across the country. Over the last week, the daily average of confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases in New York Official was over 17,000, according to city data.

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