Apple Bans Browsing and Limits New York Stores From Picking Up Online Orders Amidst Omicron Surge

Apple stores in New York have recently closed down browsing for buyers amidst the surge in Omicron cases. With that, residents will have to go online to browse through the product catalog list instead of going to the store and picking out a product.

Apple Limits New York Stores to Just Pick Ups

According to CNN's report, Apple has decided to close all of its New York store locations specifically for browsing due to the increase of COVID-19 cases. About a dozen locations within the city will still allow buyers to pick up online orders.

As per the company's statement regarding limiting browsing, they are regularly monitoring conditions. They will be adjusting both their health measures and store services to support the well-being of their customers and employees.

Company Imposed Mask Mandate for Stores

Just two weeks ago, the company started to require everyone inside its U.S. retail stores to wear a mask amidst the piling concerns over the rising cases in COVID-19. These measures were also made to address the spread of the Omicron variant.

Due to the virus, Apple has even temporarily closed its stores in Maryland, Florida, and Canada. Although New York stores won't be completely closed, they will now only be limited to handling pickups.

'Major COVID-19 Outbreak' Resulting in Fewer Trains

As per the publication, New York remains in the midst of what was noted as a "major COVID-19 outbreak," resulting in its transportation system announcing that there will be fewer trains running throughout the week.

The MTA noted that it also lacks enough staff members in order to keep service operating at its full capacity.

Massive COVID-19 Surge During Christmas Eve

The state of New York even broke a single-day record for new COVID-19 cases on December 24th, Christmas Eve. The state of New York had recorded a whopping 49,708 cases, according to the office of the Governor.

The number of total new COVID-19 cases in New York City skyrocketed by over 600%. This massive increase was recorded in just the course of the past two weeks resulting in 17,334 cases in total. To expand, Bill de Blasio, the Mayor of New York City, stated that he still believed that the positive case number is now "going to peak" any time soon.

Read Also: How to Spot Fake AirPods | Fake Buds on Amazon and eBay

How to Buy Apple Products in New York

With Apple stores closed for browsing, buyers will have to go to the official Apple website to check out their products. Although there may be third-party sellers that are open for buyers to try out the products, it is important to purchase directly from Apple to guarantee that the products are authentic and functional.

With no physical store available for browsing in New York, buyers can either postpone their purchase or order online and pick their purchase up in the store.

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Urian B.

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