Apple has reportedly asked some employees to take at-home COVID-19 tests twice a week and delayed the return of Today at Apple sessions at its North American stores.
Bloomberg reports that participants in Apple’s at-home testing program, which it operates in partnership with Quest Diagnostics for corporate and retail workers, were previously expected to be tested once a week. Now they’re supposed to be tested on Monday and Thursday.
The company said in a memo that it’s increasing the pace of these at-home tests in response to the rise of the Delta variant of COVID-19 that, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is more contagious than its predecessor.
The Mercury News reported in July that Apple pushed its plans to have employees work from the office at least three days a week from September to October. These twice-weekly tests could be the company’s attempt to avoid further delays.
The continued spread of the Delta variant will have a more immediate effect on Apple’s retail stores. Bloomberg reports that the company was set to resume certain in-store lessons, but now those plans have been put on hold.
Apple reportedly blamed the change in plans on “local conditions” in a message to employees. Local seems to be a broad term, however; Bloomberg says the delay applies to Apple Stores in the US, Canada, Mexico, and Brazil.
