Apple to Close its China Mainland Stores due to Virus Outbreak
Apple on Saturday said it would shut all of its official stores and corporate offices in mainland China until Feb 9. as fears over the coronavirus outbreak mount.
“Out of an abundance of caution and based on the latest advice from leading health experts, we’re closing all our corporate offices, stores, and contact centers in mainland China through February 9,” Apple said in a statement. The company said looked forward to re-opening stores “as soon as possible”.
Earlier this week, Apple closed three stores in China due to concerns about the spread of the virus.
Starbucks Corp and McDonald’s Corp have also temporarily shut storefronts as a precautionary measure.
Other companies have called for employees in China to work from home and cease non-essential business travel in the first week of February.
Apple is reliant on China both for smartphone sales as well as for its supply chain and manufacturing. Many factories in Hubei province, including plants run by AB InBev and General Motors Co, have temporarily suspended production due to the virus.
In a recent earnings call, Apple CEO Tim Cook said the company was working out mitigation plans to deal with possible production loss from its suppliers in Wuhan.