New Delhi: As Coronavirus cases increase globally due to the new Omicron variant, Apple has shut all its retail stores in New York City after it temporarily closed some of its stores. According to a new report by news agency Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, all Apple Stores in NYC were partially shut on Monday.
Prospective buyers will not be able to visit Apple's retail stores and they will be open for in-store pickup of online orders only. Apart from Apple retail stores located in New York City, Apple Stores in New York State have also been closed in the wake of the growing COVID-19 threat, added a report by 9to5Mac.
Earlier last week, Apple had informed its employees to work from home and delayed the return to office date indefinitely in the wake of rising coronavirus cases globally. According to a memo sent by Apple CEO Tim Cook, the employees were informed about the development that the iPhone maker was delaying its planned return to offices in February, said a report by news agency Bloomberg.
Earlier in November, Apple had decided to call back employees under a new hybrid plan which it said will come into effect from February 2022. Referring to an internal memo sent to staff by the company CEO, Apple wanted its staff to return to offices on February 1 to begin a 'hybrid work pilot'. The tech giant had earlier offered two weeks of remote work per year but added two more weeks to give 'more opportunity to travel, be closer to your loved ones, or simply shake up your routines', according to the internal memo.
The employees will come to the office on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday and they'll be able to work from home on Wednesdays and Fridays, the company had said.