Apple has announced that it is temporarily pausing all of its Today at Apple sessions in the United States and Canada, held in Apple Stores, due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.
The company has begun to ramp up its efforts to stop the spread of the coronavirus in the United States, encouraging staff to work from home where possible and offering unlimited sick days to its consumer-facing staff in Apple Stores across the world, designed to push them to self-isolate if they show any symptoms of the COVID-19 coronavirus.
The Cupertino company has also put the brakes on its rumored March event, where it was expected to announce a new low-cost iPhone (known as the iPhone 9) and a new iPad Pro.
News over the status of Apple’s upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference remains to be seen, but with several other technology giants such as Facebook and Google canceling their events, it’s surely now just a matter of time before Apple pulls the plug on its June conference.
In other Apple Store news, the company has closed all stores in Italy following government advice but plans to reopen its stores in China today (Friday 13th March), according to a source in Bloomberg.
Apple began closing its stores in China in January, and by February, every Apple retail outlet in the country was closed to help prevent the spread of the virus.
Today at Apple offers free tutorials and sessions for consumers, helping them make the most of their iPhone and Mac, covering topics like coding, music, and photography.
What’s interesting to note is that sessions have only been canceled in the US and Canada; now, it appears as though sessions are going ahead in other nations, albeit in smaller numbers.
Do you think Apple is doing enough to prevent the spread of COVID-19? Let us know your thoughts and check back soon for more news and rumors on everything Apple, every week.
