According to a statement posted on the company's website, Apple says it has made the decision to close all of its retail stores outside of China until March 27.  Apple hopes that this move will help stop the spread of the Coronavirus and "protect (their) team members and customers."

Apple made a similar decision in China last month and company CEO Tim Cook said in the statement that "one of (the lessons learned about dealing with the outbreak in China) is that the most effective way to minimize risk of the virus’s transmission is to reduce density and maximize social distance."

Here is more of Cook's statement...

"We will be closing all of our retail stores outside of Greater China until March 27. We are committed to providing exceptional service to our customers. Our online stores are open at www.apple.com, or you can download the Apple Store app on the App Store. For service and support, customers can visit support.apple.com. I want to thank our extraordinary Retail teams for their dedication to enriching our customers’ lives. We are all so grateful to you."

Local Apple Store locations include Quaker Bridge Mall in Lawrenceville, Cherry Hill Mall in Cherry Hill, The Promenade at Sagemore in Marlton, as well as several stores in Philadelphia.

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