Apple Temporarily Closes Some Retail Stores in Italy Due to Coronavirus Outbreak

[gnasher729]

Why the heck has Italy, of all places, been hit the worst besides China? Did like a plane full of infected people fly in without anybody knowing or something?

It hasn't. South Korea and Iran are worst. Both made worse by religious stupidity. Both with the potential to overtake China because religious nuts are not taking this seriously.

 

[MoreRumors?]

Apple constantly cleans their stores.

Cleaning is one thing but disinfect is another thing. I don't think disinfecting is part of cleaning routine at any establishment. With the fear of COVID-19, it would help to disinfect to help ease the fear and let customers know it was done.
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Broad "disinfection" of buildings, stores, etc., are the most meaningless, feel good steps that can be taken. Businesses, schools, etc., that are doing it know that it is done solely for purposes of PR. As soon as the store reopens, thousands of people will go through it and within a couple of hours completely recoat every item with bacteria, viruses, etc., and fill the air etc.

The only step that makes sense is to take INDIVIDUAL precautions about washing your hands, cleaning your workspace, airline seat, etc.,not touching your face, etc., or social isolation from crowded spaces.

Maybe so but an attempt should be made but I agree that it will eventually be contaminated, COVID-19 or not. How many times have we all seen people cough and sneeze openly as they spread their germs or not wash their hands after using the bathroom. Everyone have to their part otherwise it is useless in prevention.

 

[Peza19]

All the schools will be closed till March 16. I live in Milan and here they've been closed since last week, so it will be 3 weeks in a row without school. Thank goodness for grandparents!

Apple stores will remain opened Monday to Friday, and the iconic one in Milan is opened for business as usual. I don't think they'll close all retail shops in downtown Milan (including Apple), there are less tourists than usual but it would be a huge loss.
The football games will be played in empty stadiums, and that's a loss for teams but it is too dangerous to have thousands of people watching a game and taking public transportation to get there.
I hope other EU countries and the US will be luckier than us and avoid such drastic measures.

I’m afraid I have to disagree, their is no loss at all, if you consider it to be a loss then your priorities are wrong I’m afraid, money, even though it always is, should not be above human life. And doing everything possible to prevent this virus spreading is vitally important to save lives. Arrogance and greed and selfishness really shouldn’t be considered in these circumstances, unfortunately it inevitably will do however.

 

[1345873]

Hand sanitizer is not going to do anything when the virus is airborne!

Clapping your hands with it will.. a bit messy perhaps..

 

[odedia]

When you think about it, your average Apple Store is the perfect petri dish for spreading this virus. A ton of people in a fairly small space, all touching the same devices.

 

[recoil80]

I’m afraid I have to disagree, their is no loss at all, if you consider it to be a loss then your priorities are wrong I’m afraid, money, even though it always is, should not be above human life. And doing everything possible to prevent this virus spreading is vitally important to save lives. Arrogance and greed and selfishness really shouldn’t be considered in these circumstances, unfortunately it inevitably will do however.

The important thing is to avoid crowded places. Public transportation is functioning and you have way more chances to get a virus there than being infected in a store.
If the situation gets too serious let's have a complete lockdown, but this means closing factories, offices and in this case retail stores as well.
Some small cities in northern Italy are in fact in a quarantine, you can't leave the area, but retails stores are opened, they just ask you to wait outside if there are too many people in the shop. This way you're containing the virus but you're not completely destroying business.
As for an Apple stores who cares, you can buy the same things online and employees are not going to lose their jobs if the store stays closed for a few days. That's not true for small businesses though, that was my point.

 

[Shanghaichica]

As the article states its is a decree of the government, Apple didn't chose to close its stores and the one in downtown Milan stays open, as it is not inside a mall.
What is weird about the decree is shopping centers are not closed, you can still go there and buy groceries but all the retail stores that don't sell food cannot open.

People need to be able to buy food. Yes there is a risk but food is a basic necessity. Buying iPads and phones isn’t.
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It hasn't. South Korea and Iran are worst. Both made worse by religious stupidity. Both with the potential to overtake China because religious nuts are not taking this seriously.

The death rate in Italy is much higher than in South Korea. Even with over 6,000 cases in Korea the death rate is under 1%. In Italy the death rate is 3.5 % and they only have half the number of cases as South Korea.

The leader of the religious cult went on national TV to apologise and the organisation has handed over the names of all their members so they can be contacted for testing.

Iran is the country I’m most worried about. They are likely under reporting and they don’t have a robust health care system to manage it. The numbers speak for themselves. Even government officials are infected.

 

[Peza19]

The important thing is to avoid crowded places. Public transportation is functioning and you have way more chances to get a virus there than being infected in a store.
If the situation gets too serious let's have a complete lockdown, but this means closing factories, offices and in this case retail stores as well.
Some small cities in northern Italy are in fact in a quarantine, you can't leave the area, but retails stores are opened, they just ask you to wait outside if there are too many people in the shop. This way you're containing the virus but you're not completely destroying business.
As for an Apple stores who cares, you can buy the same things online and employees are not going to lose their jobs if the store stays closed for a few days. That's not true for small businesses though, that was my point.

I understand tour point now, thank you for clarifying it further. And I do agree, unfortunately not all governments are considering containment, but attempting to delay the outbreak conceding to the inevitable in their eyes.

 

[iRutherford]

This is definitively fake news you are spreading here. While the first person who got ill is well known (a young man fighting for his life), it is still unknown, how the virus came to Italy in the first place.

And would you lock yourself in your room for two weeks with just slight symptoms of a common cold. All over the world there are thousands unknowingly carrying the virus? It doesn't have to be a Chinese person. It could as well be an Apple employer who met a Chinese colleague in January before the virus outbreak was made public and than traveled to Italy.

Italy links coronavirus outbreak to Chinese tourists: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/italy-links-coronavirus-outbreak-to-chinese-tourists-p8002005p

"The coronavirus outbreak spreading across Europe has been linked to two Chinese tourists who fell ill with it in Italy in January after flying from Wuhan, where the epidemic began."

Wuhan woman 'cheated' coronavirus checks to fly out for Michelin-starred meal in France: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/20...eated-coronavirus-checks-fly-france-michelin/

"A Chinese woman has sparked online ire for boasting that she evaded coronavirus health checks, despite having a fever, to fly to France to dine in a Michelin-starred restaurant."

But sure, it's fake news. Whatever helps you sleep at night.

 

[satchmo]

Italy links coronavirus outbreak to Chinese tourists: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/italy-links-coronavirus-outbreak-to-chinese-tourists-p8002005p

"The coronavirus outbreak spreading across Europe has been linked to two Chinese tourists who fell ill with it in Italy in January after flying from Wuhan, where the epidemic began."

Wuhan woman 'cheated' coronavirus checks to fly out for Michelin-starred meal in France: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/20...eated-coronavirus-checks-fly-france-michelin/

"A Chinese woman has sparked online ire for boasting that she evaded coronavirus health checks, despite having a fever, to fly to France to dine in a Michelin-starred restaurant."

But sure, it's fake news. Whatever helps you sleep at night.

Well you knew they were going to place the blame on a foreigner. It can't come from one of their 'own'.

 

[Gasu E.]

As the article states its is a decree of the government, Apple didn't chose to close its stores and the one in downtown Milan stays open, as it is not inside a mall.
What is weird about the decree is shopping centers are not closed, you can still go there and buy groceries but all the retail stores that don't sell food cannot open.

Reducing the number of people and the congestion at the malls helps a lot. Food is a requirement of life. I guess the authorities have the idea that avoiding people starving to death may worth risking the spread of virus.
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I’m afraid I have to disagree, their is no loss at all, if you consider it to be a loss then your priorities are wrong I’m afraid, money, even though it always is, should not be above human life. And doing everything possible to prevent this virus spreading is vitally important to save lives. Arrogance and greed and selfishness really shouldn’t be considered in these circumstances, unfortunately it inevitably will do however.

I assume you grow your own food. But most people buy it with money. No money, no food.