Apple Inc. closed 11 retail stores in New York City for an undetermined amount of time Monday amid a surge in the omicron variant of COVID-19.
“We regularly monitor conditions and we will adjust our health measures to support the well-being of customers and employees,” Apple
AAPL,
said in a statement Monday. “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.”
The move — which affects stores in Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx and Staten Island — does not amount to a total shutdown of those locations, however. Online orders can be picked up outside those stores.
Apple’s move follows the temporary closures of stores in Annapolis, Md., Miami and Ottawa, Ontario, earlier this month.
The iPhone maker has tightened its in-store policies as omicron has swept across the nation. Two weeks ago, Apple said it would require customers to wear masks. Before, it only required masks in regions that imposed mandates.
Apple was forced to close all of its U.S. retail locations in early 2020, when the first wave of the pandemic roiled the country.