Apple closes all of its retail stores in Italy due to coronavirus pandemic

Apple has announced it is closing all 17 of its retail stores in Italy as the country battles with the coronavirus pandemic.

The announcement was made online on Wednesday, with Apple advising customers with Genius Bar appointments and those seeking support to use the available online and phone support services, and that all new purchases should be done online through Apple.com.

Within a statement shared with Bloomberg, Apple says the closures have been implemented to contain and manage the spread of COVID-19, with the company closely watching the situation with the aim of reopening its retail stores as quickly as possible.

As we support the work to contain and manage the spread of COVID-19, our priority remains the health and safety of everyone in the communities we serve. With that in mind, our stores in Italy will be closed until further notice. We understand customers may need support from Apple during this challenging time and we’ll ensure our online and phone support, as well as online store, remain open for customers. We will closely monitor the situation and look forward to reopening our stores as soon as possible.

The news comes amid 12,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the country. Apple reported one of its employees in Cork, Ireland was tested positive for COVID-19 and as a result, it was performing deep cleans of all of its corporate offices and retail locations.