Protective masks were worn by shoppers outside the Apple Inc. store at Americana at Brand mall in Glendale (California) on Thursday, May 6, 2020.Apple will require customers to be vaccinated as well as employees to wear masks at many of its U.S. retail outlets starting Thursday, according to a source familiar with the matter.This is a result of the CDC's recommendation for indoor masking in both fully vaccinated individuals and children living in areas with high Covid-19 transmission rates.California, home to Apple, has recommended that everyone wear masks indoors on Wednesday. The Delta variant of the virus, which is now known as the "Deadly Flu," disrupts all previous notions about risk.Apple earned a reputation for its evidence-based decisions regarding where and when it was safe for retail outlets to be operated during the Covid-19 pandemic. Sometimes, these decisions were made before public health orders.After one year of closings and openings, all 270 U.S. Apple Stores had reopened by March 1.CNBC reported that Apple CEO Tim Cook said earlier this week that his company had delayed its plans to return to office for corporate workers from September and October, and that it might be pushed back.Cook stated that they are constantly monitoring the situation to determine if it is the right answer.Despite many employees working remotely, Apple continues to perform well. The company announced earlier this week that sales rose by 36% in the June quarter.Google announced Wednesday that it will postpone its return-to work plans until October. All employees must be vaccinated.According to a person familiar with the matter, Apple does not require its retail employees to get vaccinated but encourages them to do so.
