On 17 May, Apple's retail and human resources chief Deirdre O’Brien said in a letter to customers that around 100 stores will reopen this week all over the world, adding that each store will stick to the company's guidelines to ensure the customers' safety.
"Our commitment is to only move forward with a reopening once we’re confident we can safely return to serving customers from our stores", the letter, published on Apple's website, reads.
According to O’Brien, the company will stick to limiting occupancy, with the staff focusing on "one‑on‑one, personalized service at the Genius Bar and throughout the store".
Workers and customers will have to wear face coverings while inside the stores. Shoppers who do not have a mask will be provided with one.
Temperature checks will be conducted at the door, and clients with a temperature will undergo additional screening, the guidelines say.
Deirdre O’Brien added that stores would reopen per local official guidelines and Apple’s own data, and may be shut if lockdown orders were to be applied again in a certain area.
In the US, some 25 stores will be opened in Florida, California, Washington, Hawaii, Oklahoma, and Colorado, according to the company's website. Some of the stores will allow customers in, while others will only provide them with curbside pick-up service.