By Amber Neely
Friday March 06, 2020, 04:42 am PT (07:42 am ET)
Apple is taking action in Italy to help contain the coronavirus, by canceling “Today at Apple” sessions across the country and shutting down the Apple Oriocenter, located in the Italian province of Bergamo.
Apple Oriocenter | Image Credit: Apple
The closure currently lasts from March 6 to March 8, but would likely be extended if infection and death rates continue to rise. Anyone planning to visit Apple Oriocenter is encouraged to call ahead or visit the store’s retail site.
In addition, all “Today at Apple” sessions in Italy have been canceled for the moment.
Apple stores across mainland China, like the Apple Mall in China in Beijing, are also seeing reduced hours in the aftermath of the epidemic.
The new coronavirus 2019, or COVID-19, continues to spread in more regions of the world, with nearly 100,000 cases worldwide. Italy has been particularly affected by the virus. Global health officials report that Italy has more than 3,800 cases of COVID-19, including nearly 150 deaths.
COVID-19 could also endanger Apple’s WWDC. Santa Clara County released guidelines Thursday following new COVID-19 cases discovered, urging employers in the region, including tech giants Apple and Google, to postpone or cancel the mass rallies.
