As expected, Apple reopened its five retail stores in the Beijing area today as the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak in China continues.
In a video shared by CNBC senior correspondent Eunice Yoon, Apple employees can be seen checking the body temperatures of customers as they enter the store for signs of fever. Yoon says Apple is also limiting the number of customers allowed in the store at once, resulting in smaller crowds than normally seen.
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The stores in Beijing have reduced hours of 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. local time. Apple's other stores in China remain closed until further notice.
There remains a lot of uncertainty regarding the coronavirus outbreak, which has resulted in extended shipping estimates for some Apple products and could impact the company's overall revenue this quarter. Apple operates over 40 stores in China, which represents less than 10 percent of its retail locations worldwide.
Business attempts to normalize in #China despite #coronavirus. @Apple reopens its 5 Beijing stores today. Limited hours (11a-6p v. usual 10a-10p). One entrance only with temperature checks. $AAPL restricts # customers in stores. Busy but not thecrowds would see on #ValentinesDay. pic.twitter.com/FoKUrKKkc9 — Eunice Yoon (@onlyyoontv) February 14, 2020
Apple recently provided its retail stores, authorized service providers, and carrier partners with an enhanced cleaning guide that recommends that demo Apple products be cleaned at least twice per day. The document, shared with MacRumors, contains best practices for using microfiber cloths as well as hand washing tips for employees.
Top Rated Comments
I can see them perhaps finding later that if my normal temperature is 97.6, in the 5-14 days prior to a traditional fever my temp was 98.5-98.9. An Apple Watch that knows your individual normal temperature and the same information from huge populations could perhaps be a good diagnostic tool in a few years. If it ever measures body temp.
https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-coronaviruses
I think they could contribute significantly in this field, building on what they’ve learned from developing Apple Watch.