Apple has closed its New York City stores to walk-in customers amid rising COVID-19 cases.
Starting now, New York Apple Stores will only be open for pick-up, meaning customers can buy something from Apple online and come to a store to pick it up. But they can’t stay to check out other products or make Genius Bar appointments. It did not say when they will re-open.
“We regularly monitor conditions and we will adjust both our health measures and store services to support the wellbeing of customers and employees,” Apple said in a statement. “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.”
According to Reuters, the Omicron closures affect Apple’s seven Manhattan locations: Upper West Side, Upper East Side, SoHo, Fifth Avenue, World Trade Center, West 14th Street, and Grand Central. The company also has stores in the outer boroughs—the Bronx, Brooklyn, Staten Island, and Queens. It did not specify if those stores are also closed, but it’s probably wise to double-check their status if you were planning to shop at those locations this week.
Earlier this month, Apple temporarily shuttered three stores in the US and Canada following COVID-19 outbreaks among staff—Miami (Brickell City Centre), Annapolis, Md. (Annapolis Mall), and Canadian capital Ottawa (Rideau Centre). In summer 2020, Apple temporarily closed 77 stores across the country due to the spreading virus. They largely re-opened in 2021 with guidelines in place (masks, social distancing, etc.) but Apple has had to play whack-a-mole as variants and outbreaks cropped up throughout the year.
