Apple’s COVID-19 response team on Monday told corporate employees that the company is updating current protocols “in light of current conditions” and urged staff to continue wearing face masks if they feel more comfortable doing so. Apple also noted in the email that “everyone’s personal circumstances are different” and reminded corporate employees to respect each person’s decision to wear a mask or not. Apple is changing its operating policies throughout the pandemic to keep pace with local regulations and mitigate the risk to employees and customers in areas where COVID-19 is rampant. For example, Apple in March relaxed its mask requirements for retail employees in the United States due to a drop in Covid-19 cases and the relaxation of local orders. However, the latest move comes amid a new wave of infections in California that were first identified in the Bay Area, due to the highly contagious Omicron BA.5 subvariant. Previously, masks were still required in “public places”, but not in offices. Now the requirement is completely reduced. However, it doesn’t seem like the most ideal time to do so. Do you see the big drop in cases between February and March? This was the last time Apple dropped the requirement. pic.twitter.com/MfcaumfNq2 — Mark Gurman (@markgurman) August 2, 2022 Apple continues to operate a hybrid home/office work policy for corporate employees in the United States. Staff began returning to their offices on April 11 for one day a week, ending a two-year work-from-home policy implemented by Apple during the pandemic. Apple originally planned to have staff in the office for three days a week until May 23, but the company reversed the decision after a spike in infections and imposed a two-day requirement on May 4. Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion on this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Apple Reinstates Employee Mask Mandate at About 100 US Retail Stores

Apple retail employees at about 100 stores will have to go back to wearing a mask while working, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. Apple is again mandating masks for employees due to the rising number of COVID cases across the United States. Customers visiting an Apple Store are not required to wear a mask at this time, but Apple continues to recommend masks for all Apple Stores…

Apple’s mask disposal orders for retail and business employees

Apple plans to drop its mask requirements for retail and corporate employees in the United States due to a drop in Covid-19 cases and the relaxation of local mandates, Bloomberg reports. For vaccinated corporate employees, masks are now optional in areas where local indoor mask mandates have expired. Retail staff at a small number of locations have also been told that the masks will…

Apple Stores will lift the mask requirement for customers in several US states

Apple will no longer require customers to wear a mask to enter many of its retail stores in the United States, Bloomberg reports. Mask mandates will disappear in many stores starting Friday due to positive trends in vaccinations and a decrease in COVID-19 cases. More than 100 stores will drop the mask mandate starting Friday, with the policy then expanding to additional stores based on…

Apple ends mask mandates in many stores, plans to bring back in-person classes

Apple is no longer requiring customers to wear masks when visiting Apple Stores at many locations in the United States, Bloomberg reports. Apple withdrew its mask mandates following changes in local guidelines and a drop in COVID-19 cases. Employees have been notified of the mask updates, and Apple has also updated its website to provide details on which locations are no longer…

Apple is once again requiring masks at all US retail stores

Apple retail stores are implementing stricter COVID measures, once again requiring customers to wear masks at all locations in the United States and instituting social distancing rules at some locations that were lifted earlier this year. Apple in November lowered coverage requirements for customers in several U.S. states due to positive trends in vaccinations and a decline in COVID-19…

Apple’s corporate employees are returning to the office on a hybrid schedule starting today

Apple corporate employees in the United States began returning to their offices today, ending a two-year work-from-home policy implemented by Apple during the pandemic. Workers at locations such as Apple Park and the Infinite Loop were last month given until April 11 to return to in-person work. Apple was willing to bring employees back to the office and schedule return dates…

Apple tightens COVID prevention rules for developers attending Apple Park WWDC showcase event

Developers invited to attend the WWDC preview event on June 6 at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California will have to adhere to stricter COVID prevention rules that Apple recently implemented. In emails sent today, Apple informed developers that they will be required to wear N95 masks while indoors and that a negative FDA-approved COVID antigen test is required on the day…

Top stories: iOS 16 Beta 4, ‘Apple Watch Pro’ rumors and more

We’re probably about six weeks away from the reveal of the iPhone 14 lineup, and Apple continues to refine the iOS 16 update that will be released alongside the new hardware, so we’re seeing a number of tweaks as it moves into beta testing. This week also saw some rumors about the rugged “Apple Watch Pro” slated for release later this year, as well as some of the…

iPhone 14 continues to boast improved performance despite sticking with the A15 chip

Standard iPhone 14 models will still outperform the iPhone 13 despite containing the same A15 Bionic chip, according to hacker “ShrimpApplePro”. In March, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed that only the iPhone 14 Pro models will feature the A16 chip, with the standard iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Max models equipped with the A15 chip like the iPhone 13. In April. .

VMware Fusion Tech preview brings Windows 11 to Apple Silicon’s Macs

VMware announced this week that its latest VMware Fusion update brings Windows 11 support to both Intel Macs and Apple silicon. Available as a free technology preview, the 2H22 version of Fusion will finally allow Apple silicon Mac users to download and use Windows on their PCs via virtualization. Features include Windows 11 support with 2D GFX and networking, VMtools installation for…

Apple’s online store is currently down in some countries [Updated]

Apple’s online store is currently down in some countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, and others. The downtime is not worldwide, with the store still operating in some other countries. “We’re making updates to the Apple Store,” the store page says, as usual when there’s downtime. Apple advises customers to “check again…

Apple is expanding its Apple TV gift card offer to more countries

Apple has expanded a previously exclusive US Apple TV gift card offer to more countries worldwide, offering customers a gift card alongside the purchase of an Apple TV 4K or Apple TV HD. The initial offer launched for US customers last month, giving buyers a $50 gift card with the purchase of an Apple TV. Following the downfall of the Apple Store in many countries, Apple has…

All the news in iOS 16 Beta 4 for lock screen, iMessage, CarPlay and more

Apple today released the fourth beta of iOS 16 to developers for testing. The latest beta contains a handful of new features and changes to the Messages app, Home app, Mail app, Lock Screen notifications, CarPlay, and more. Subscribe to MacRumors on YouTube iOS 16 is currently in beta for developers and members of Apple’s free public beta testing program, and the software update will be…

Apple Seeds second public betas of iOS 16 and iPadOS 16

Apple today released the second betas of iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 to public beta testers, opening the iOS 16 beta testing process to the general public. Today’s beta comes just over two weeks after the first public beta and marks the fourth developer beta. Public beta testers enrolled in Apple’s free beta testing program can download the second iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 …