Pixabay // Michael Gaida
Audio By Carbonatix
On Tuesday, Apple announced that it intended to reopen many of the stores across the country that it had temporarily closed due to COVID-19.
In Arizona, though, where COVID-19 cases are sharply on the rise, Apple is going the other way. The tech firm said today that it would be closing its Arizona stores, along with stores in three other coronavirus “hotspot” states: North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida.
The stores impacted are:
Chandler Fashion Center
Scottsdale Fashion Square
Arrowhead
SanTan Village
Scottsdale Quarter
La Encantada
“We take this step with an abundance of caution as we closely monitor the situation,” Apple said in a statement, “and we look forward to having our teams and customers back as soon as possible.”
The Arizona Department of Health Services reported 3,246 additional COVID-19 cases today, a new record.
More than 20 percent of Arizona tests reported on Friday came back positive for COVID-19. By comparison, just 1 percent of tests in New York were positive.
More than 1,300 Arizonans have died of the virus to date. Hospitalizations are also steadily rising. ICU capacity in the state was approaching 90 percent as of Friday afternoon.
Following Governor Doug Ducey’s announcement on Wednesday that he would leave it up to local governments to decide whether to mandate the wearing of masks in public, several cities and areas have issued mask requirements.
