Update: Apple announced on June 25 that 14 additional stores in Florida will reclose on June 26. See below for full list.
Apple is reclosing more of its US retail stores as COVID-19 cases continue to rise in many states. Starting June 25, seven stores in the Houston area will temporarily close.
Apple began reopening its US stores in mid-May and has continued returning employees to work throughout June. Today alone, 28 US stores reopened in Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, Rhode Island, Virginia, and Wisconsin. At the same time, stores in regions that have become COVID-19 hotspots are reclosing, just weeks after welcoming customers again.
Just under one dozen stores closed on June 20 in Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Arizona. As a leading retailer in the pandemic response, Apple outlined early on that it would take the preventative step of closing again if local conditions took a turn for the worse.
The following stores will reclose effective June 25:
- Highland Village
- First Colony Mall
- Houston Galleria
- Memorial City
- Willowbrook Mall
- Baybrook
- The Woodlands
The following stores will reclose effective June 26:
- Altamonte
- Aventura
- Boca Raton
- Brandon
- The Galleria
- Lincoln Road
- Brickell City Centre
- Dadeland
- The Falls
- Florida Mall
- Millenia
- The Gardens Mall
- International Plaza
- Wellington Green
Apple reiterated its thinking behind the closures:
Due to current COVID-19 conditions in some of the communities we serve, we are temporarily closing stores in these areas. 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. For help with an Apple product, more ways to shop, or additional information on our stores, please visit http://apple.com/retail.
Outside of the US, all but 17 of Apple’s 239 international stores have reopened. Four additional locations in Quebec will open this week.
Some areas are managing COVID-19 well. Apple takes every precaution when you’re inside their store. But then you leave the bubble. Opening stores draws people to linger in malls. The online store is doing fine. If keeping closed slows infection even a bit, shouldn’t they do it?
— Michael Steeber (@MichaelSteeber) June 24, 2020
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