THE China is still suffering too much from the Coronavirus. Over there, the disease has already caused more than 1,350 deaths and the number keeps growing – in just one day, the virus COVID-19 did 242 new victims.
Many cities are completely at a standstill and Apple, as we speak, has postponed plans to reopen its stores and offices, until then scheduled for February 10. But that has changed. According to the Reuters, Apple will reopen some stores in Beijing starting tomorrow, February 14th, with reduced opening hours.
The company’s five stores in the country’s capital (Chaoyang Joy City, China Central Mall, Sanlitun, Wangfujing and Xidan Joy City) will operate between 11 am and 6 pm, as reported on each of their pages; they usually open at 10am and close at 10pm.
Retail outlets in other cities, such as Shanghai and Shenzhen, will remain closed until further notice.
Production of iPhones
A recent report from the DigiTimes suggested that the outbreak did not affect, at least for now, Apple’s planning for the launch of the new iPhones in September. According to Nikkei Asian Review, a source close to Apple’s main partner in the country (Foxconn) said it will take at least 1-2 months for the automaker to resume its normal manufacturing level.
Still, the limitation that Apple imposed on the number of employee trips to the country would have impacted the engineering validation test of the “iPhone 12”, which could, yes, affect its production.
via iMore
Update Feb 14, 2020 at 14:20
The five Apple stores in Beijing reopened, as expected, at alternative times due to the Coronavirus outbreak.
In the video above, shared by the senior correspondent at CNBC Eunice Yoon, we see that Apple employees are checking the body temperature of customers entering the store. According to Yoon, Apple is also limiting the number of customers allowed inside the store at one time.
It is not easy …
via MacRumors
Update II, by Rafael Fischmann Feb 14, 2020 at 20:10
Apple has now confirmed that it will reopen, tomorrow (2/15), one of its seven stores in Shanghai – Nanjing East Road.
Like Beijing, it will be back in operation at a limited time: 12 noon to 6 pm only.
via Reuters
