Apple Encouraging Employees in Silicon Valley to Work From Home Amid Coronavirus Outbreak

As the coronavirus continues to spread in Santa Clara County where many of Apple's corporate offices are located, Apple is now encouraging employees in the area to work from home today if they are able to, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

apple park 416 security
Apple has asked employees to do so as an "additional precaution," and working from home is a recommendation rather than a requirement as some employees may have jobs that require being in the office.

Yesterday, Santa Clara County asked tech companies in cities like Cupertino, Palo Alto, Mountain View, and San Jose to "consider use of telecommuting options for appropriate employees."

There are 20 known cases of coronavirus in Santa Clara County, and several other suspected cases. Cupertino, which is where Apple Park and Infinite Loop are located, is a part of the county.

Employers have also been asked to suspend nonessential employee travel, which Apple has already done, and cancel large in-person meetings and conferences. It is still unclear what Apple plans to do about WWDC, which normally takes place in June in San Jose.

For the last few years, Apple has announced WWDC dates in mid-March, so we could soon hear news on whether WWDC will take place or if Apple will substitute some kind of digital event.

Though corporate employees are able to work from home if possible, Apple's retail store locations in the Bay Area remain open. Apple has, however, implemented "deep cleaning" protocols to keep retail workers and customers safe from the virus.

Popular Stories

iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Coming Next Week With These New Features for Your iPhone

Friday February 14, 2025 6:18 am PST by
The first iOS 18.4 beta for iPhones should be just around the corner, and the update is expected to include many new features and changes. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects the iOS 18.4 beta to be released by next week. Below, we outline what to expect from iOS 18.4 so far. Apple Intelligence for Siri Siri is expected to get several enhancements powered by Apple Intelligence on iOS...
apple launch feb 2025 alt

What to Expect From the 'Apple Launch' Next Week

Thursday February 13, 2025 11:48 am PST by
Apple has yet to announce any new devices this year, but that could change starting next week. Apple CEO Tim Cook today said to "get ready" for a "launch" on Wednesday, February 19. "Get ready to meet the newest member of the family," said Cook, in a social media post. The post includes an #AppleLaunch hashtag, along with a short video featuring an animated Apple logo inside of a circle....
iPhone 17 Pro Render Front Page Tech

iPhone 17 Pro With All-New Camera Bar Design Allegedly Revealed

Thursday February 13, 2025 5:49 pm PST by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro will feature three rear cameras arranged in a familiar triangular layout, but the cameras will be housed in an all-new rectangular camera bar with rounded corners, according to YouTube channel Front Page Tech. iPhone 17 Pro camera design render created by Asher for Front Page Tech In a video uploaded today, Front Page Tech host Jon Prosser said the camera ...
iphone air concept weis

iPhone 17 Air Could Look Like This in Real Life

Friday February 14, 2025 3:41 am PST by
There have been several alleged leaked details of the iPhone 17 Air, Apple's rumored new slim iPhone, but images have been limited to grainy shots taken in component factories. However, this hyper-realistic concept created by WEIS Studio gives us the best idea yet of what Apple's thin device might actually look like. The concept design is inspired by recent leaks indicating that the device...
m2 pro mac mini

Apple is Now Selling a Refurbished Mac Mini for Just $319 (!)

Saturday February 15, 2025 9:58 am PST by
A few days ago, we reported that Apple's refurbished Mac mini pricing had a problem, and it appears that Apple has taken note. Apple was offering a refurbished Mac mini with the M2 chip, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage for $559, which was $50 more than a refurbished Mac mini with the M4 chip, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. All other key specifications were equal. That's no longer...
apple launch feb 2025

Tim Cook Teases an 'Apple Launch' Next Wednesday

Thursday February 13, 2025 8:07 am PST by
In a social media post today, Apple CEO Tim Cook teased an upcoming "launch" of some kind scheduled for Wednesday, February 19. "Get ready to meet the newest member of the family," he said, with an #AppleLaunch hashtag. The post includes a short video with an animated Apple logo inside a circle. Cook did not provide an exact time for the launch, or share any other specific details, so...
M4 Mac mini Apple Video

Apple's Refurbished Mac Mini Pricing Has a Problem

Thursday February 13, 2025 6:20 am PST by
Apple this week began selling refurbished Mac mini models with the M4 chip for the first time, but this has led to a pricing conundrum. In the United States, Apple is offering a refurbished Mac mini with the base M4 chip, 256GB of storage, 16GB of RAM, and Gigabit Ethernet for $509, down from $599 new. This is the standard 15% discount that Apple offers on refurbished Macs. The issue is...
Apple Maps 2024

Apple Maps Might Start Showing Ads

Sunday February 16, 2025 7:22 am PST by
Apple is "exploring" the idea of showing search ads in the Apple Maps app, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Back in 2022, Gurman said software engineering was "already underway" to display ads in the Apple Maps app, but Apple did not move forward with the idea at the time. Today, he said Apple is "giving this notion more thought" again. This time around, he said Apple has yet to...

Top Rated Comments

cmaier Avatar
65 months ago

lol. People are so soft. Just go to work. If you get sick, you get sick. That's why our bodies have immune systems.
I don’t know how to respond to this without ending up with a two week suspension.

I am glad none of your friends or loved ones have compromised immune systems. Have a nice day.
Score: 60 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WiiDSmoker Avatar
65 months ago

lol. People are so soft. Just go to work. If you get sick, you get sick. That's why our bodies have immune systems.
People can also die from getting sick.
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Stevez67 Avatar
65 months ago

lol. People are so soft. Just go to work. If you get sick, you get sick. That's why our bodies have immune systems.
Some get slightly ill, some get seriously ill, a few die. But thanks for your well thought-out and considered opinion on a topic about which you're an expert.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DaveRivera Avatar
65 months ago

lol. People are so soft. Just go to work. If you get sick, you get sick. That's why our bodies have immune systems.

People can also die from getting sick.
And not everyone's immune system works as well as others.
And some people have other issues that could could be compromised by getting sick.
And I know I certainly would not be happy with a coworker who knowingly got me sick

But yeah, who cares! Its just the lives of those around you... /s
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lunarworks Avatar
65 months ago

lol. People are so soft. Just go to work. If you get sick, you get sick. That's why our bodies have immune systems.
In the process you also pass it on to people whose immune systems may not be able to fight it, like the elderly or people with pre-existing conditions.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ksnell Avatar
65 months ago

lol. People are so soft. Just go to work. If you get sick, you get sick. That's why our bodies have immune systems.
Yeah, go with that.

Meanwhile, doctors are discovering this causes irreversible and permanent lung damage to some. ('https://metro.co.uk/2020/03/06/coronavirus-like-combination-sars-aids-doctors-say-12359066/')
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)