Bloomberg: US Apple Stores won't need you to wear a mask from this week

Apple Store Seoul
Apple Store Seoul (Image credit: Apple)

What you need to know

  • People will no longer need to wear masks when entering US Apple Stores from this week.
  • People working in Apple Stores will continue to mask up.

People entering Apple Stores across the United States will no longer need to wear masks as of this week, according to a new report.

That report comes courtesy of Bloomberg and notes that the change could come into force as soon as Tuesday, while employees have also been told that they will not need to ask customers whether they have been vaccinated before allowing them entry into stores.

The technology giant has begun informing retail employees of the impending change in impacted markets, according to people with knowledge of the matter, who declined to be identified discussing policy changes that haven't been announced. The change will go into effect as early as Tuesday, and employees have been told that they won't be required to ask customers for verification of vaccination.

While employees will still be required to wear masks at work, Apple is also considering dropping the mask requirement at some of its US offices although Apple has yet to confirm the move.

Workers will still need to wear masks at stores, Apple told staff. The company could change its plans or delay the loosening of the restriction. The requirement for face coverings will also be dropped at some of the Cupertino, California-based company's U.S. offices, according to a memo sent to corporate employees.

Apple recently told staff members that they will be expected to return to office working by September, although there will be a hybrid working pattern in place that will allow them to work from home two days per week.

Of course, going to an Apple Store doesn't always mean getting the best deal. Check out our best iMac deals to see what I mean.

Oliver Haslam
Contributor

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too.

Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.