Apple Reportedly To Reopen Some U.S. Stores Next Week

Stores in four U.S. states will be the first to reopen, but with new precautions including temperature checks, according to reports.

Apple reportedly plans to begin the reopening of its U.S. retail stores next week, though added precautions will be taken amid the continuing COVID-19 pandemic.

The first four states to see reopened Apple stores will be Idaho, South Carolina, Alabama and Alaska, according to reports--another signal of the gradual reopening of business in the U.S.

[Related: Apple Schedules Virtual WWDC 2020 For June]

Apple had closed all of its stores outside China in mid-March "until further notice."

Customers seeking to enter the reopened stores will reportedly see precautions including temperature checks. The stores will also allow limited numbers of customers at a time and will require social distancing within the stores, while employees will wear face masks, according to reports.

Apple did not immediately respond to a CRN request for comment on Friday.

The four states have a total of only six stores--of the 271 country-wide--and "the primary focus of the stores will be fixing products," CNBC reported.

The reopenings also come as Apple has launched a number of new products since the start of the coronavirus crisis. Those include a redesigned iPhone SE and refreshed models of the MacBook Pro, MacBook Air and iPad Pro.

Last week, Apple said that revenue for the iPhone is expected to drop during the current quarter, on a year-over-year basis, in part due to the impacts of COVID-19. However, the company's Mac and iPad businesses are expected to grow due to demand from remote work and distance learning.