Apple closes several stores due to COVID-19 outbreaks, encourages online shopping

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Over the last couple of weeks, several Apple Stores around the US have closed due to rising COVID-19 infections among staff members, and a report by Bloomberg lists seven locations in the US and Canada that have shut down operations within the last day or so. The Apple Stores listed include Dadeland and The Gardens Mall in Florida, Lenox Square in Atlanta, GA, Highland Village in Houston, TX, Summit Mall in Ohio, Pheasant Lane in New Hampshire, and Sainte-Catherine in Montreal, Canada.

According to the report, shutdowns are usually called when 10 percent of the store’s staff has tested positive. These spikes are occurring as the CDC reports omicron has become the dominant strain of the virus spreading throughout the US. Apple’s response...