Apple closes New York City stores to shoppers due to COVID surge

Apple has closed in-store shopping in a swath of New York City stores due to rising COVID-19 cases.

Why it matters: The highly contagious Omicron variant is driving a surge in COVID cases nationwide, with cities like New York and Washington, D.C., leading the latest wave.

Yes, but: Customers will still be able to place orders online and pick them up at the stores, An Apple spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

• Apple Grand Central will be allowing limited walk-in for in-store shopping and access to its Genius Bar tech support center, with mask-wearing requirements, according to a statement posted to the company's website.

The big picture: The closure affects 16 stores across the city, and it's not yet clear how long they will remain in place, per Bloomberg. Apple has also temporarily closed stores in D.C. and Los Angeles and in other locations in states like Georgia and Texas.

• A number of stores in Washington state have also been temporarily closed due to the weather, per New York Times.

What they're saying: “We regularly monitor conditions, and we will adjust our health measures to support the well-being of customers and employees,” Apple said in a statement.

• “We remain committed to a comprehensive approach for our teams that combines regular testing with daily health checks, employee and customer masking, deep cleaning and paid sick leave."

Editor's note: This article and headline have been updated to include details of Apple Grand Central being open and to clarify that several New York City Apple stores have closed in-store shopping.