Apple is re-closing 14 more of its Florida retail stores due to the resurgence of COVID-19 cases. Of the 18 Apple Store locations in Florida, only two remain open, one in Jacksonville and one in Sarasota, according to Bloomberg. The count of closed Apple stores in the US is currently 32, which represents 10 percent of the company’s total number of 272 company stores in the country.
Apple last month began reopening most of its retail stores in the United States. However, last week saw the first wave of Apple store closings in Florida, as well as Arizona, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Despite Apple’s phased approach to reopening its stores that began in late May, the number of COVID-19 cases in the United States, particularly in the states that have reopened the fastest, has begun to increase.
Several states have begun allowing in-person shopping at retail stores, and guidance for public dining has been loosened. However, as the US reported 38,672 positive cases of COVID-19 on June 24, a record number for a single day, it is further evidence that the threat of the new coronavirus appears to be far from over.
Apple’s comment to Bloomberg today reflects what he said The edge last week regarding those initial reclosings. “Due to current COVID-19 conditions in some of the communities we serve, we are temporarily closing stores in these areas,” said an Apple spokesperson. The Verge “We take this step with great caution as we closely monitor the situation and hope that our teams and clients will return as soon as possible.”
