Apple Decides to Require Masks for All Customers at All U.S. Stores

As Covid-19 cases continue to rise in the United States, iPhone maker Apple has decided that it will now require masks for customers at all U.S. stores.

The company announced on Tuesday that customers at Apple stores in the United States will be required to wear face masks in order to shop inside.

Previously, the company had only required masks in U.S. stores within regions that required them.

The reinstatement of the mask mandate comes as the omicron Covid variant gains speed globally.

“We regularly monitor conditions and we will adjust our health measures in stores to support the well-being of customers and employees,” an Apple spokesperson said in a statement.

“Amid rising cases in many communities, we now require that all customers join our team members in wearing masks while visiting our stores,” they added.

In an email to The Verge, the company said that “amid rising cases in many communities, we now require that all customers join our team members in wearing masks while visiting our stores.”

Apple closed all of its stores in 2020 in response to the Covid-19 pandemic and stores had reopened earlier this year.

A store in Texas closed last week after several employees tested positive for Covid, according to an NBC News report. The report revealed that 22 employees at the location tested positive for
COVID following Black Friday, where some staff reported that customers (who were not required to wear masks) were packed into the store “shoulder to shoulder.”

Disclaimer: We have no position in any of the companies mentioned and have not been compensated for this article.