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Businesses Medicine Apple

Apple Plans to Reopen Some Stores in America This Week, But Customers Must Wear Masks (cnbc.com) 86

An anonymous reader quotes CNBC: Apple released its blueprint Sunday night for how it will reopen its retail stores once it is safe to due so, per official coronavirus health guidelines. It will also open 25 stores in the U.S. this week.

When a store reopens, customers will be required to submit to a temperature check and wear a mask before entering the store, according to the guidelines, written by Apple's retail and human resources boss Deirdre O'Brien. If a customer doesn't have a mask, Apple will provide them with one.

Apple also announced on Sunday several stores in the U.S. that will be reopening this week. Some of the stores will allow customers in, while others will only offer curbside pick-up service. Apple stores will be reopening this week in a handful of states including Florida, California (curbside service), Washington (curbside service), Hawaii, Oklahoma and Colorado. O'Brien said stores would reopen per local official guidelines, and could even close again if lockdown orders in a certain area have to be renacted.

Reuters notes Apple's move is "continuing a gradual process that has unlocked doors at nearly a fifth of its worldwide retail outlets." Around the world nearly 100 Apple stores have already done some form of re-opening, the guidelines state, adding that "In every store, we're focused on limiting occupancy and giving everybody lots of room, and renewing our focus on one-on-one, personalized service... Throughout the day, we're conducting enhanced deep cleanings that place special emphasis on all surfaces, display products, and highly trafficked areas..."

"Down the road, when we reflect on COVID-19, we should always remember how so many people around the world put the well-being of others at the center of their daily lives. At Apple, we plan to carry those values forward, and we will always put the health and safety of our customers and teams above all else."
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Apple Plans to Reopen Some Stores in America This Week, But Customers Must Wear Masks

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  • "But Customers Must Wear Masks "

    Ok, but will staff have to wear one too?

    • Re:What about staff (Score:4, Informative)

      by Thawk9455 ( 1037874 ) on Sunday May 17, 2020 @08:55PM (#60072038)
      Too busy to read the article?

      We’re also taking some additional steps in most places. Face coverings will be required for all of our teams and customers, and we will provide them to customers who don’t bring their own. Temperature checks will be conducted at the door, and posted health questions will screen for those with symptoms — like cough or fever — or who have had recent exposure to someone infected with COVID19. Throughout the day, we’re conducting enhanced deep cleanings that place special emphasis on all surfaces, display products, and highly trafficked areas.

      • by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

        No gloves though. The biggest risk in an Apple store would seem to be touching the demo products and surfaces that other people have touched.

        Some hand sanitizer wouldn't go amiss either.

    • Comment removed based on user account deletion
      • What's wrong Apple? Lost the "courage".

        They just replaced it with #CONSUME.

  • Masks are made and provided by Apple, for $39 only (each).
  • by ArhcAngel ( 247594 ) on Sunday May 17, 2020 @08:58PM (#60072046)
    To all the "That's unconstitutional" crowd please note: Forcing people to wear a mask by your US government IS unconstitutional...Being forced by an operating business to wear a mask in their store is NOT. You have a choice on whether to patronize said business or not.
    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward

      Forcing people to wear a mask by your US government IS unconstitutional.

      [citation needed]

      • Yeah, I don't think you're going to get that citation. If forcing you to wear a mask is unconstitutional, then wouldn't forcing you to wear clothing be unconstitutional?

        • Yeah, I don't think you're going to get that citation. If forcing you to wear a mask is unconstitutional, then wouldn't forcing you to wear clothing be unconstitutional?

          Like almost everything, it depends on circumstances. You can be forced to do things if there is a good reason (a disease is spreading, for example) and the things are proportional and reasonable (wearing a mask would be fine; killing your potentially infected children would not).

          • Like almost everything, it depends on circumstances. You can be forced to do things if there is a good reason (a disease is spreading, for example) and the things are proportional and reasonable (wearing a mask would be fine; killing your potentially infected children would not).

            unless the disease is a zombie outbreak. There needs to be legislation that mandates euthanasia for bite victims, even your children. We'd probably need mandatory masks too, it's not going to save you from a zombie, but anyone who turns with a mask on will have a much harder time biting people as a zombie. flatten the curve.

    • Weirdly, in many states it's illegal to wear a mask [wikipedia.org]. There are court cases that have ruled them constitutional, too.

      If forced vaccination is constitutional, then mask wearing is probably constitutional, too.
      • Please cite where forced vax is constitutional. It isn't so if someplace has ruled it is it needs to be addressed.
      • by tlhIngan ( 30335 )

        Weirdly, in many states it's illegal to wear a mask. There are court cases that have ruled them constitutional, too.

        Yes, now is the time to march into a bank with your mask on and take a selfie. Because honestly, it's going to be one of the only times in your life you'll be able to do so and no one would bat an eye.

    • Are you sure it's unconstitutional? How is failing to wear a mask substantively different from screaming "fire" in a movie theater? The latter certainly isn't constitutionally-protected free speech. I don't think the former is either, but IANAL, and I don't think it's been tested in court yet (I expect it will be soon though!)

    • Actually, the state governments can do this, constitutionally. They have the power to declare a temporary state of emergency and the supreme court has upheld this. The feds have little say in the matter, but they can also provide directions for their own buildings or lands as necessary. You are possibly taking a literalist approach to the constitution, picking out some lines without looking at the constitution as a whole and the amendments that came after, and the interpretation of how it all fits togeth

      • Actually, the state governments can do this, constitutionally.

        Where we run into problems is that legislatures are supposed to make civil and criminal law, not governors.

        There may be constitutional provisions, or legislation (depending on the state), for temporary emergencies, but in many cases they haven't even been invoked for natural disasters or war.

        "Worse than flu but we aren't sure how much" is highly questionable for invoking those provisions, and the longer it drags out the more questionable it gets. We're definitely not at "bring out your dead!" levels of an

        • The constitutions of most states allow the governor to make *temporary* executive orders for emergencies. These can be extended through legislative approval later. At the time the constitutions were written, it was assumed important to be able to respond to emergencies without waiting for the amount of time for legistlators to come back to the capital and have a vote. That could take weeks or months. Note that the Texas legislature only has regular sessions in odd numbered years, though the governor can

  • That also goes for barebacking porn stars and looking at eclipses.
    • No, I'd rather develop natural antibodies so when we are all finally released, I'm not immune compromised.
    • You call those risks? Try barebacking an eclipse. Now that's a risk!
    • by fermion ( 181285 )
      I have no issue with this, if you have insurance to cover all costs. If, however, your 'real man' is going to become a 'welfare queen' and demand free care at the risk of the health care workers, then that its not ok.

      It is like the people in California that build mansions next to forest they know are going to burn down, then expect the taxpayer to fund first responders to risk their lives to save the rich people stuff. Not OK.

  • * no purchase necessary.

    Someone please post this over at Slickdeals.net too?

    • In Vietnam Apple and other branded masks cost 50K dong, or just over $2. Any brand, military theme and comic book hero themes. But no Trump masks.
  • I understand there's a lot of cultural friction with wearing a mask, but really, is it so hard ? It really does seem self evident that they work to stop spread of disease. Look at (most of) Asia. Masks everywhere, mandatory even, vastly reduced numbers of covid cases compared to elsewhere.
  • Would a Zoro mask be amusing? So how z it going in Macron ville? Burqua âs back in style? https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wik... [wikipedia.org]
  • by DigitalSorceress ( 156609 ) on Monday May 18, 2020 @09:51AM (#60073638)

    .. and who is going to be be responsible for enforcing that?

    Apple stores usually have one or two folks up front "greeting" / triaging customers. So, what? now they're going to put them in the position of asking folks to wear masks to get in? and what happens the first time some jerk gets angry/violent?

    Someone close to me works at an Apple store doing retail and they're personally very concerned because instead of security folks or off duty cops, they're just going to stick their retail folks out in front delivering the message and that will put them at risk from the angry/violent yahoos who are going to decide that their rights are being denied by being forced to wear a mask.

    We've already seen shootings, stabbings and other assault and battery at several retail establishments.... It seems to me that while the policy (no mask, no service) is a good idea, that this absolutely will have unintended consequences and put employees in harms way of "mask rage".

    Not saying they shouldn't do it, but they need to have security or better yet uniformed off duty cops (extra duty) assisting with enforcement.

  • ""Down the road, when we reflect on COVID-19, we should always remember how so many people around the world put the well-being of others at the center of their daily lives."

    No. What we need to remember how few people we saved vs the millions of jobs and careers that were wiped way. How our economy shrunk. How life will be worse for others. How it's our children and grand-children who will still be reeling from these effects.
  • Lots of "essential" stores "require" masks.

    Doofuses walk around with them around their necks, over their mouths but not noses, etc.

    Or the hood rats just shoot you or punch you when you tell them they have to wear one.

  • With all of those customers touching the merchandise, shouldn't Apple also require gloves?
  • In the CNBC story and on Apple site, I don't see the list of stores which are opening this week. Can somebody please share the list?
    • Never mind, found the list on Business Insider, https://www.businessinsider.co... [businessinsider.com] . Looks like stores in States where Pandemic started first and strict action was taken or states with warmer climate or states with lower population density (CA, WA, HI, OK, FL, CO, AL, AK, ID, SC).

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