The intent to open 70 more stores this week was announced in an official letter from Deidre O’Brien, Apple’s senior vice president of Human Resources and Retail, to the company’s employees at the company’s headquarters.
It is reported that all newly opened stores will be subject to stringent security measures. Facial masks are required to enter, social distancing measures, such as limiting the number of visitors, temperature checks of all entrances, and shops to be regularly sanitized. All personnel must wear masks and are also subject to regular temperature checks.
In some regions, the Apple Store has so far been limited to picking up items previously ordered online. You can also visit certain shops – for example, in New York – just by appointment. For this reason, visitors are advised to review Apple Store restrictions before traveling to the nearest Apple Store, a list of which can be found on the company’s website.
Apple started to open its stores in mid-April, the first (and for quite a long time the only, if not counting outlets in China) was the Apple Store in South Korea. The first U.S. stores reopened on May 11 after a two-month closure. As of June 16, 154 of the 271 Apple Stores in the U.S. had already opened, with 365 stores worldwide.
