Apple said Friday it has decided to close 11 stores in four states in which coronavirus infections are surging. The decision comes just weeks after the company had reopened those locations.
The states where the stores are closing, starting Saturday, are in Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina and Arizona.
"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," an Apple spokesperson said in a statement.
Last month, Apple started to reopen about 30 of its 271 stores in the U.S., requiring customers to have temperature checks and wear a mask before entering the stores. Employees also have to wear face coverings at all times and observe social distancing. Apple said it would regularly conduct deep cleanings of all surfaces and device displays.
In some states, reopening the economy has led to increased infections. In North Carolina, Arizona and Texas, virus-related hospitalizations have recently hit records.
The nearly dozen closures is expected to have a marginal effect on Apple sales, Wedbush analyst Dan Ives wrote investors in a note Friday.
"That said, Apple re-closing stores after re-opening many of these stores over the past month is a worrisome trend that speaks to the volatility and fluidity of this COVID environment," Ives said.
An Apple spokesman told NPR the following stores will be closed, beginning Saturday:
Florida
-- Waterside Shops
-- Coconut Point
North Carolina
-- Southpark
-- Northlake Mall
South Carolina
-- Haywood Mall
Arizona
— Chandler Fashion Center
— Scottsdale Fashion Square
-- Arrowhead
-- SanTan Village
-- Scottsdale Quarter
-- La Encantada
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