Apple to reopen stores in Singapore on June 24 with extra precautions taken

Apple fans rejoice — the two Apple stores in Singapore will officially be open for business on June 24. 

“We're excited to begin welcoming visitors back to our stores in Singapore on Wednesday. We’ve missed our customers and look forward to offering our support,” the company announced. 

Located at the Orchard Road shopping district and Jewel Changi Airport, the two outlets were closed on March 15 following Apple’s decision to temporarily shutter all of its retail stores outside of Greater China in response to the Covid-19 outbreak. 

Apple chief Tim Cook had explained in a statement that “the most effective way to minimize the risk of the virus’s transmission is to reduce density and maximize social distance”. 

In our workplaces and communities, we must do all we can to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Apple will be temporarily closing all stores outside of Greater China until March 27 and committing $15M to help with worldwide recovery. https://t.co/ArdMA43cFJ

— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) March 14, 2020

Though the statement noted that the closures would only last till March 27, the intensity of the global pandemic meant that mass reopening would have to be delayed. Apple head of retail Deidre O'Brien shared last month that the company would only move forward once they’re confident about safely returning to serve customers in its stores. 

“We look at every available piece of data — including local cases, near- and long‑term trends, and guidance from national and local health officials,” she wrote in a letter to customers.  

“These are not decisions we rush into — and a store opening in no way means that we won't take the preventative step of closing it again should local conditions warrant.” 

Similarly, extra precautions will be taken once Apple stores in Singapore reopen next week. The stores will limit the number of visitors at any one time, so walk-in customers should expect some delays when dropping by to pick up new devices or get their current ones serviced. 

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Otherwise, there’s always the Apple online store, which has continued to run during the course of the circuit breaker. The company also released a couple of new products despite the pandemic, including the iPad Pro’s Magic Keyboard, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and the iPhone SE. 

”Our newly reopened stores will have significant safety procedures including temperature checks, social distancing and face coverings to ensure customers and employees continue to stay healthy,” Apple said. 

Customers are encouraged to check out the Apple website for more information. 

ilyas@asiaone.com 

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