Apple has confirmed that it will close all its retail stores outside Greater China to slow the spread of the coronavirus to their employees and customers. The company has said that the stores would be closed until March 27 in light of the worsening spread of the virus, which according to figures from Johns Hopkins University has killed 5,429 and infected 145,369.
In a note on the company’s website, Appel CEO Tim Cook further added that hourly workers will continue to be paid, and workers across the company will be allowed to work remotely if their jobs permit it. Apple has around 500 retail stores world-wide, including hundreds in the U.S., which along with the company’s website and direct sales force accounted for 31% of the company’s $260 billion in sales in the year ended September 2019.
The company also announced that it will host its annual Worldwide Developers Conference in June 2020. Now in its 31st year, WWDC 2020 will take on an entirely new online format packed with content for consumers, press and developers alike.
“The online event will be an opportunity for millions of creative and innovative developers to get early access to the future of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS and tvOS, and engage with Apple engineers as they work to build app experiences that enrich the lives of Apple customers around the globe,” the company added in a statement. “Apple also announced it will commit $1 million to local San Jose organizations to offset associated revenue loss as a result of WWDC 2020’s new online format.”
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