Apple to close retail stores outside Greater China region

Apple will close retail stores around the world, except those in the Greater China region for two weeks until March 27, to minimize the risk of coronavirus transmission.

"We will be closing all of our retail stores outside of Greater China until March 27," Apple CEO Tim Cook wrote on the company's website.

"The most effective way to minimize risk of the virus's transmission is to reduce density and maximize social distance. As rates of new infections continue to grow in other places, we're taking additional steps to protect our team members and customers," he wrote.

"In all of our offices, we are moving to flexible work arrangements worldwide outside of Greater China," he added. "That means team members should work remotely if their job allows."

The move comes as the WHO has identified the coronavirus outbreak as a pandemic as the virus is spreading rapidly in European countries, and the U.S. has declared the state of emergency on Friday.

Apple reopened all 42 of its branded stores in China on Friday this week, after they had been closed since early February as a precaution against the coronavirus outbreak. As the virus in China is under control, businesses are getting back to work, and people's lives seem to regain some sense of normalcy, the company decided to reopen all the stores.

On February 18, Apple warned that it would not meet its revenue goal for March due to the store closures, and production slowdown because of the virus outbreak in China. The fallout from this new wave of closures outside of the Greater China region is still unknown.

Later that month, Cook said that coronavirus in China is under control, and many suppliers have resumed manufacturing in the country. Apple's biggest manufacturer in China, Foxconn announced its factories has returned to normal on February 19 and is expected to run at full capacity at the end of March.

In the website letter, Cook acknowledged the determination and spirit of Apple's team in China. "I also want to thank our operations team and partners for their remarkable efforts to restore our supply chain," it says.

In a tweet, Cook also said the company is committing 15 million U.S. dollars to help with the worldwide recovery.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)