Apple brings back the mask mandate at all of its U.S. retail stores

Mask mandates have come and gone for Apple retail stores. The company has always said it’s going to follow the trends of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and adjust accordingly. Which is why it’s not too surprising to hear that, as of mid-December, the mask mandate is making a comeback in the United States.

At least, that’s according to a story from Bloomberg‘s The Terminal. As tweeted out by Mark Gurman, Apple has decided to bring back the mask mandate at all of its physical retail stores in the United States. Which is a pretty quick turnaround from the beginning of November of this year, when the company actually started dialing back mask mandates in some states.

However, according to the report, Apple’s decision to reinstate the mask mandate is due to the rising cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. Especially as the Omicron variant continues to spread. Before this, Apple had removed the mask mandate at about half of its U.S. retail stores, including in states like Arizona, New York, California, Florida, and a few others.

There’s no word on how long this mask mandate will be set. However, if this tells us anything, it reinforces that Apple is still moving along with an ever-changing scenario. As the situation changes and evolves, so, too, will Apple’s actions regarding the ongoing pandemic.

Just be aware of the reinstatement if you plan on visiting an Apple Store in the near future.