Some Apple stores that reopened during the coronavirus pandemic will already have to close again as new COVID-19 cases rise in numerous states.
Apple announced on Friday it's temporarily closing 11 stores in Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Arizona, citing "current COVID-19 conditions in some of the communities we serve," CNN reports.
"We take this step with an abundance of caution as we closely monitor the situation and we look forward to having our teams and customers back as soon as possible," Apple added.
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Customers will be able to pick up devices they were having repaired at these stores over the weekend, and employees will still be paid, Bloomberg reports. Apple, The Wall Street Journal notes, was "one of the first major U.S. retailers in mid-March to close its stores nationwide amid the pandemic."
Amid reopenings around the country, COVID-19 cases are climbing in 20 states, and 10 have experienced records highs over the past week, including the four where Apple is closing these locations. Experts say Florida has "all the markings of the next large epicenter of coronavirus transmission," and six out of the 11 stores being closed are in Arizona, which Harvard University epidemiologist Dr. Eric Feigl-Ding says "per capita has surpassed Lombardi, Italy."
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