A statement was made on the company’s website stating that all Apple stores outside china will be closed down due to lessons it had learned from its response to the outbreak in China.
The Chief Executive officer of Apple Inc, TOM Cook stated “What we’ve learned together has helped us all develop the best practices that are assisting enormously in our global response,” and “One of those lessons is that the most effective way to minimize the risk of the virus’s transmission is to reduce density and maximize social distance.
Cook also states “At Apple, we are people first and we do what we do with the belief that technology can change lives and hope that it can be a valuable tool in moments like this.”
Apple is committed to paying all of its workers who work hourly as if the stores were remaining open. It said it would also expand its leave policies to accommodate personal or family health circumstances caused by COVID-19 and does recovering from illness, caring for someone infected.
Apple has spent $15 million in donations to COVID-19 and said it will be matching employee donations two-to-one to support response efforts, locally, nationally, and internationally.
