Coronavirus Update: Apple Stores In China Will Not Reopen On February 10

Apple shut down all of its stores, contact centers and corporate offices in China in early February. The novel coronavirus outbreak that originated in Wuhan compelled Apple to close its stores. However, the company decided to open from Feb. 9.

Deirdre O’Brien, Head of People at Apple, sent out an email to the employees and shared the company’s move in the coming weeks. He mentioned that Apple is in consultation with health experts, government authorities and the teams in China. Meanwhile, Apple is not likely to reopen its entities in China on Feb. 10.

“We are working toward reopening Apple's Corporate Offices and Contact Centers in China next week. We recognize that personal movement and travel restrictions are ongoing and schools are closed in many places, and managers will be working with their teams to offer additional support. You will receive a follow-up communication shortly with more information,” O’Brien’s email read, MacGeneration reported.

Meanwhile, he confirmed that they will announce a date next week for the reopening of Apple’s retail stores. However, the health protocols, local restrictions, and additional sanitization would affect the reopening timeline. He stated that the managers will be informed of the opening date.

He advised the employees to be aware of any communication. “To stay up to date with Apple's efforts, please continue to check the dedicated coronavirus page we've created on the People site,” he wrote in the mail.

As the coronavirus outbreak advances, the built-to-order iMac Pro, MacBook Pro, and iMac are facing extensive delays. Speculations suggest that coronavirus has affected the production to a great extent.

Earlier, Foxconn, the main Apple iPhone assembler, stopped close to all of its production in China. The Foxconn employees in its Shenzen facility were advised not to return to work after the Lunar New Year holiday that ends on Feb. 10.

The death toll from the coronavirus outbreak has reached 724 in two months. On Saturday, Feb. 8, 81 new fatalities were reported from Hubei province in China. The confirmed cases of coronavirus stand at 34,546 as businesses continue to suffer.