Apple Store Forced Shut After 22 Employees Test Positive For Coronavirus

An Apple Store in the US state of Texas had to be shut down after at least 22 of its employees tested positive for coronavirus.

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New Delhi: An Apple Store in the US state of Texas had to be shut down after at least 22 of its employees tested positive for coronavirus. The Apple retail store in Southlake, Texas, will remain shut from December 8-December 12 in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, the media has reported.

According to a report by NBC News, the Apple Store reported four employees were COVID-19 positive immediately after the Black Friday sale. Now, after a few weeks, there are 22 positive cases among Apple employees at the retail store.

The report also added that four current and former employees at the Apple Southlake store said they got calls from their manager encouraging them to come to work, even when they called out sick.

Meanwhile, earlier in November, Apple had decided to call back its employees under a new hybrid plan which will come into effect from February 2022. Apple CEO Tim Cook said company employees will be required to report to the office one to two days a week for the first month. Starting March, the tech giant will implement a hybrid work plan.

This means the company has set February 1, 2022, as the return date for its employees globally.

Referring to an internal memo sent to staff by the company CEO, Apple wants 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.