MacBook on the brink of blowing? iPhone upgrade well overdue? You'll be pleased to hear then that Apple is beginning the process of re-opening its retail stores around the world, having been forced to close them as a safety measure brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.
It won't be a case of strolling straight through the doors however – Apple has outlined the precautions it is taking to ensure all customers and staff are as safe as possible during these difficult times.
For starters, all entering the stores, staff and customers alike, will be required to wear a face mask. These will be provided by Apple if unavailable to the customer. Temperature checks will also be carried out at the door, while those looking to enter will be screened against a check list of symptoms, including previous fever, cough or possible exposure to the illness.
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Staggered restart
“Our commitment is to only move forward with a reopening once we’re confident we can safely return to serving customers from our stores," said Apple senior vice president Deirdre O’Brien in a letter posted to the Apple website.
"We look at every available piece of data — including local cases, near and long‑term trends, and guidance from national and local health officials. These are not decisions we rush into — and a store opening in no way means that we won’t take the preventative step of closing it again should local conditions warrant.”
Apple has now reopened almost 150 of its 510 global stores (primarily in the US) since the March shutdown began. You can find if a store local to you has re-opening plans using Apple's Find a Store tool.
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