Nearly two months after Apple closed its stores "until further notice" due to the coronavirus pandemic, the company says that it will slowly begin reopening them.
Apple has confirmed that it will begin reopening its retail stores next week in Idaho, South Carolina, Alabama, and Alaska. CNBC notes that Apple only has a total of 6 stores in those states, and Apple didn't say that every one of them will be opening next week.
"We’re excited to begin reopening stores in the US next week, starting with some stores in Idaho, South Carolina, Alabama and Alaska," Apple said in a statement. "Our team is constantly monitoring local heath data and government guidance, and as soon as we can safely open our stores, we will."
The Apple Stores that do open will have temperature checks for employees and customers and will use face coverings for workers. Apple also plans to follow social distancing guidelines by only allowing "a limited number" of customers in the store at a single time, which means some visitors may have to wait a bit before they can go in.
Because of the severity of the coronavirus pandemic, Apple is choosing to slowly begin reopening stores rather than opening them all back up at once. This way it can ensure all of its cleaning and social distancing policies work smoothly.
Plus, Apple says that the focus of these reopened stores will be repairs and that customers looking to buy products should shop online for delivery or in-store pickup. So these Apple Stores won't return to normal with tons of folks hanging out and playing with devices quite yet.