Apple Closes South Carolina Store After COVID-19 Exposure, Other Stores Cutting Hours Due to Staff Shortages

Apple has temporarily shut down its retail store located in Charleston, South Carolina after more than 20 staff members were exposed to or tested positive for COVID-19, reports Bloomberg.

apple charleston store
According to the website for the store, it will be shuttered until Monday, August 23. According to Bloomberg, stores of this size typically have 70 to 80 employees, so around a quarter of the staff may have been exposed.

Apple appears to be suffering from staff shortages at the Charleston store and other retail locations, both because of COVID exposures and the difficult labor market. Stores remain operational at this time, but some have been forced to close earlier and open later because of a lack of staff.

Continuing issues with the delta variant of COVID-19 have impacted Apple's store plans. Apple stopped requiring customers and employees to wear masks back in June, but then reinstated mask mandates at many retail locations in the United States in late July. So far though, Apple has not reinstated widespread store shutdowns.

Apple had also planned to bring back in-person Today at Apple classes on August 30, but has since pushed back those plans because of the prevalence of the delta variant.

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Top Rated Comments

Sowelu Avatar
51 months ago
The anti-maskers and anti-vaxers are 100% to blame for these variants and this never ending pandemic (in the US at least). Yet, these are the same fools who are saying 'enough is enough' but did nothing (and continue to do nothing) to help fight it.

We were attacked, we had the weapon to combat it and win, but no, half the nation is part of a cult who felt the need to side with the enemy (Covid) just to own the libs. Even though their cult leaders are fully vaccinated. Idiots.

And now, unvaccinated people are dying from a 99% preventable virus/disease. And the cycle will continue as we try to chase variants with boosters. We learned nothing in the 100 years since the last pandemic, despite having the technology and money to end it.
Score: 39 Votes (Like | Disagree)
fenderbass146 Avatar
51 months ago

Thank you anti-vaxxers for the delta variant.
Delta came from India before the vaccine existed…but sure blame Americans that don’t have the vaccine.
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
brucewayne Avatar
51 months ago

Thank you anti-vaxxers for the delta variant.
The Delta Variant started in India in Dec 2020, long before either country had even a percentage of their population vaccinated, and according to the CDC is spread just as easily by people with or without the covid vaccines. It is also less lethal which is why most people never know they were carrying it. The only thing that the vaccine is buying you is better chance against severe symptoms or death.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/29/politics/cdc-masks-covid-19-infections/index.html

But hey, at least you'll get lots of likes by spreading hate against people that are weighing their risks vs vaccines that 9 months and 100's of millions of doses later still do not have full FDA approval and still have their manufacturers protected from any liability.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
farewelwilliams Avatar
51 months ago
Thank you anti-vaxxers for the delta variant.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
fenderbass146 Avatar
51 months ago

The anti-maskers and anti-vaxers are 100% to blame for these variants and this never ending pandemic. Yet, these are the fools who are saying 'enough is enough'. We were attacked, we had the weapon to combat it and win, but no, we ****ed it up.
How is a variant the started in India and really only killing unvaccinated people blamed on Americans 100% or really at all.. Quit gas lighting.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
fenderbass146 Avatar
51 months ago

Ugh here we go again.
MANDATORY VACCINES NOW!
MANDATORY MASKS NOW!
You are free to do that. The government does not have authority to do that

Not for children…..(who can’t get vaxxed because the vaccines are still considered too dangerous for them)
Luckily under 18 only accounts for .05% of all COVID deaths and they are more likely to die from the flu then COVID in a typical year….
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)