Apple shuts down all of its NYC stores for in-person shopping due to rising COVID-19 cases

• All Apple stores in New York City were closed for in-person shopping on Monday. 
• The closures come as COVID-19 cases surge and it’s unclear how long they’ll remain in place. 
• The city has averaged more than 17,000 cases per day over the past week. 

Apple has closed all of its New York City stores to indoor shopping on Monday because of the surge in COVID-19 cases.

“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,” Apple told Insider in a statement. 

It’s unclear how long the stores will remain closed, however, customers who purchase items online can still pick them up in-store. 

COVID-19 cases are on the rise in NYC and across the country as the more transmissible Omicron variant spreads. 

According to city data, NYC’s daily average of confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases over the past week was more than 17,000.

This isn’t the first time Apple has closed stores because of rising COVID-19 cases: The company closed several US and Canadian stores earlier this month because of surging cases and employee exposures, Reuters reported. 

Axios reported that Apple has also closed stores in Los Angeles and Washington, DC, as well as locations in Georgia and Texas.