England entered a four-week national lockdown on November 5, but now shoppers are returning to stores under the country’s new tier system after non-essential retailers such as Apple have reopened their doors. The Cupertino company has reopened all of the 32 stores it operates in the country and has allowed the iPhone Upgrade Program to resume.
England entered lockdown just before the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max went on sale in the country, Â effectively barring customers from buying a new iPhone online via the iPhone Upgrade Program because those contracts must be signed in person.
Stores in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland remain in an appointment-only capacity, allowing users to pick up orders or request support. Customers looking to upgrade their iPhone using the iPhone Upgrade Program can make appointments and reserve their desired model online.
Some UK stores are opening with limited availability, according to Apple’s UK Apple Store list. All stores have resumed normal opening hours, iMore noted. Apple’s existing COVID measures like temperature checks and masks are still required in order to enter its stores.
Other non-essential businesses, including hairdressers and beauty salons, are also able to open under the two-tier system. The UK is the world’s first country to approve the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, with the first 800,000 doses available in the country from next week.