Source: Stephen Warwick/iMore
What you need to know
- All 17 Italian Apple Stores are now closed.
- They're closed through next Wednesday, March 17.
- It isn't clear when they will open again.
We previously heard that Apple would be closing all of its Italian Apple Stores this weekend, but things have taken a turn for the worse. As of right now, all 17 Apple Stores in the country will close today and not re-open until at least Thursday, March 18. It's thought that the move is in response to the ongoing coronavirus issues in the area.
It isn't yet clear when these stores will re-open, with the online store checker only showing opening hours up until Wednesday, March 17. It's likely that Apple is taking a wait-and-see approach and will update its stores and its plans as the situation progresses.
Apple recently closed all of its Chinese Apple Stores following the coronavirus outbreak, and it's taking a similar tact in Italy. It remains to be seen whether we can expect further store closures internationally, but with Italy being one of the worst affected countries, it makes sense that it's the first country outside of China to see all stores closed indefinitely.

Editor's Desk: Getting ready for the new MacBook, public betas, and more
It's finally July, which means the new iPhones are just a few weeks away from being revealed. There are many things to get excited about right now, however, including the new MacBook Air.

Nintendo recap: Metroid Prime rumors, shareholder talks F-Zero, and more
There was lots of exciting news this week following the Nintendo Direct Mini on Tuesday. Several games are slated for this fall and there are even rumors that some older games could be seeing remakes and remasters on Switch soon.

20 million U.K. iPhone, iPad users could get compensation in £1.5B lawsuit
A lawsuit in the U.K. against Apple is going to trial over claims the company has overcharged App Store users because of its dominant position in the iOS app market.

Get the most out of your Apple Pencil with these cases, grips, and more
The Apple Pencil (1st Gen) is a fabulous drawing tool for iPad users, but it gets lost very easily. Here are some accessories that'll keep your Pencil safe and secure.