San Francisco (AFP)
Apple will close all of its stores outside of China until March 27 to try to contain the spread of the new coronavirus, announced its president Tim Cook.
The computer and smartphone maker has learned from containment measures taken in China, where it has just reopened its 42 stores, Tim Cook said in a statement released Friday evening in the United States.
"One of the lessons is that the most effective way to minimize the risk of transmission of the virus is to reduce the (population) density and maximize social distancing," he said.
As the epidemic progresses outside of China, "we are taking new steps to protect our teams and our customers," he said.
Apple's online store will continue to operate, but workers outside of China will telecommute where possible.
The computer giant, which has nearly 500 stores in 24 countries, intends to soften its leave policy "to take into account the circumstances created by (the disease) Covid-19" caused by the new coronavirus, such as taking care of a sick relative, compulsory quarantine or childcare resulting from the closure of schools.
Apple has donated $ 15 million to help fight the pandemic and pledged as a company to double what employees will give.
The firm's 42 apple stores in China, closed when the country was one of the main centers of the Covid-19 epidemic, have all reopened gradually in recent days.
The Californian giant issued a profit warning in mid-February to warn that it would not meet its sales targets due to the coronavirus epidemic that started in China, where the brand has many production factories and is carrying out part significant of its turnover.
Its suppliers in China were also affected by the containment measures and traffic restrictions taken to stem the epidemic.
© 2020 AFP