Apple bans shoppers from all NYC stores as COVID cases soar

 Apple has temporarily closed all of its New York City stores to in-person shoppers as coronavirus cases soar in the Big Apple. 

Apple’s massive Fifth Avenue flagship — as well as its Grand Central, SoHo and World Trade Center stores and smaller outlets across the five boroughs — are all closed to shoppers, according to the iPhone maker’s site.

Customers can still pick up online orders at the stores.

Locations in Westchester County, Long Island, New Jersey and upstate New York remain open for in-person shopping. 

The closures come as the Omicron variant spreads rapidly in New York, forcing thousands of workers to call out sick.

All of Apple’s New York City stores are closed to in-person shoppers.

REUTERS

Amid coronavirus-related worker shortages, Gov. Kathy Hochul on Friday cut the isolation guidance for some fully vaccinated workers who test positive for COVID-19 from 10 days to five days.

Apple typically closes a store when 10 percent of its employees have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to Bloomberg. 

Apple’s Fifth Avenue flagship is among the stores that are closed to in-person shopping.

REUTERS

Last week, Apple shuttered stores in Florida, Georgia, Texas, New Hampshire and Canada as coronavirus cases rose. 

Apple spokesman Nick Leahy did not respond to a request for details on the company’s New York City store closures but said the company does its best to protect employees. 

“We regularly monitor conditions and we will adjust both our health measures and store services to support the wellbeing of customers and employees,” Leahy told The Post. “We remain committed to a comprehensive approach for our teams that combines regular testing with daily health checks, employee and customer masking, deep cleaning and paid sick leave.”

Apple has also recently closed stores in Florida, Georgia, Texas and New Hampshire to in-person shopping.

REUTERS

On Monday, New York City reported a near-record of 17,343 new coronavirus cases. The city’s hospitalization rate has more than doubled over the past week as hospitals see a surge of patients infected with the omicron variant, Mayor Bill de Blasio said. 

https://nypost.com/2021/12/27/apple-bans-shoppers-from-all-nyc-stores-as-covid-cases-soar/