Apple has announced to employees that it is revising its COVID-19 protocols for corporate staff and retail staff members. In an announcement on Thursday, Apple informed corporate and retail staff members that face masks will be optional in “regions where local indoor-mask mandates have been eliminated” starting this week.
Apple Store mask requirements
As first reported by Bloomberg, masks are now optional for vaccinated corporate employees beginning today. Meanwhile, the mask mandate for retail employees will be lifted on Friday. The company noted that as more regions drop their mask requirements and cases decline, “masks will become optional for employees at more locations.”
Notably, Apple lifted its mask requirement for customers in US retail stores last week, but left the requirement in place for employees. Apple also revised its COVID-19 testing policies for employees earlier this week in anticipation of lifting this mask requirement.
The company told staff that masks for vaccinated corporate employees are now optional at offices in regions where local indoor-mask mandates have been eliminated. It also told retail staff at a small number of locations that masks for employees will become optional on Friday. Over time – as more regions drop their mandates and cases decline – masks will become optional for employees at more locations.
Apple also announced this morning that it is resuming Today at Apple in-person sessions at retail stores in the United States starting on March 7. This will be the first time that Apple has offered in-person Today at Apple sessions since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic two years ago.
As of right now, Apple has not yet announced when it will require corporate employees to return to physical offices. When it does, the company plans to use a hybrid system at first, where employees work three days from the office and two days from home.
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