All of Apple’s retail stores have required the wearing of masks throughout the pandemic, and some locations have been operating on a limited basis, such as by appointment only. Apple has informed its US retail stores that a mask mandate and other Covid-19-related procedures remain in place for now, though the company says it continues to evaluate health and safety measures.
That is in line with some retailers like Target and CVS, while others like Walmart and Trader Joe’s have already dropped nationwide mask requirements. Apple’s policies can also be flexible to local situations, as 9to5Mac notes that as the number of cases in Michigan rose over recent weeks, stores there were closed and then reopened as Express locations. Apple experimented with the format late last year, where stores are walled off with windows where customers are served one at a time. As the pandemic continues to wane, it will be interesting to see which policies are rolled back and when and which ones stick around for good.
