Apple shuts ALL New York City stores as Omicron wipes out staff: COVID strain triggers de facto lockdowns across state as staff shortages force companies to close
Apple has shuttered all 16 of its stores in New York due to a staffing shortage as Omicron variant tears through the state and triggers companies to implement their own de facto lockdowns.
The Big Apple remains the epicenter for the third wave of the virus in the U.S. brought on by the highly-contagious Omicron variation.
The tech giant closed down shops in SoHo, the Upper West Side, Chelsea as well as Brooklyn, Staten Island and the Bronx. Long Island shops in Huntington Station and Manhasset were also affected. The stores will still allow customers to order online and allow customers to pick their orders up.
'We regularly monitor conditions, and we will adjust our health measures to support the well-being of customers and employees,' according to a statement by Apple on Monday. 'We remain committed to a comprehensive approach for our teams that combines regular testing with daily health checks, employee and customer masking, deep cleaning and paid sick leave.'
In addition to New York, Apple closed its stores in Los Angeles Tower Theatre, Carnegie Library in Washington, D.C. and outlets in Ohio, Texas, Georgia and Florida. The company's Regent Street store in London also shuttered temporarily. In all, 20 locations have been closed.
Covid cases in the U.S. have doubled over the past two weeks. On average, 235,269 Americans are testing positive for the virus every day, a 99 percent increase over the last two weeks. The doubling comes after a record 512,553 new cases were reported in the U.S. on Monday, according to Johns Hopkins University. The large figure is the product of a multi-day build up of unreported cases over the Christmas holiday that finally were logged to start the week.
In New York state, 26,737 people tested positive for the virus on Sunday - though Gov. Kathy Hochul said on Monday she expects the number to rise up to 20,000 or more by the time Tuesday's data comes in, as more people will get tested following the Christmas holiday.
The situation is more grim in New York City, which is seeing a 10.7 percent positivity rate with a 17,334 total cases reported over the past week. As a result, many restaurants and bars have shuttered on their own after staff outbreaks or exposure, and as customers cancel bookings for fear of the virus.
Multiple Broadway shows have closed their doors, and Mayor-elect Eric Adams cancelled his inauguration gala scheduled for New Year's Day. Because the shutdowns are voluntary, the path to safely reopening is murky, and it is unclear when business will resume as normal.
The situation is more grim in New York City, which is seeing a 10.7 percent positivity rate with a 17,334 total cases reported over the past week. As a result, many restaurants and bars have shuttered on their own after staff outbreaks or exposure, and as customers cancel bookings for fear of the virus
In New York state, 26,737 people tested positive for the virus on Sunday - though Gov. Kathy Hochul said on Monday she expects the number to rise up to 20,000 or more by the time Tuesday's data comes in, as more people will get tested following the Christmas holiday
Apple closed down shops in SoHo, the Upper West Side, Chelsea as well as Brooklyn, Staten Island and the Bronx. Long Island shops in Huntington Station and Manhasset were also affected. The stores will still allow customers to order online and allow customers to pick their orders up. Pictured: Apple's store on Fifth Ave near Central Park which usually has scores of customers lining up to get in
The number of New Yorkers hospitalized with COVID ballooned over Christmas, with more than 5,500 people spending their holidays inside one of New York's many hospital facilities - the largest increase since February.
Hochul announced on Monday that statewide hospitalizations stand at 5,526 - the highest total since February 23 and nearly a 190 percent increase since November 1,
The Omicron variant, which could account for up to 73 percent of the new cases, has played havoc with business across the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, though there's evidence the strain is more mild. The CDC estimates that the variant now accounts for more than 90% of cases in New York.
Bowing to pressure from the business community, federal health officials cut the isolation period from 10 to five days on Monday, and shortened the quarantine time for people who have come in contact with the infected.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian penned a letter to the head of the CDC Rochelle Walensky ahead of the holiday warning that the spike in infections would thwart airline travel and asking her to shorten the isolation period.
The move came too late, however, despite the shortened period about 1,000 flights in the U.S. and 2,800 globally were cancelled on Monday alone, according to CNN, because of staffing shortages. More than 11,000 flights were delayed. The cancellations spilled over to Tuesday, with more than 700 flights canceled and another 2,200 delayed.
The hyphenated isolation period not only didn't solve the staffing shortage, it drew the ire of the Association of Flight Attendants.
'We said we wanted to hear from medical professionals on the best guidance for quarantine, not from corporate America advocating for a shortened period due to staffing shortages,' the union said in a statement. 'The CDC gave a medical explanation about why the agency has decided to reduce the quarantine requirements from 10 to five days, but the fact that it aligns with the number of days pushed by corporate America is less than reassuring.'
Across the country, public facing business are enduring a second shutdown because of the wave.
In Austin, Texas the uber-popular Franklin Barbecue and more than a dozen other bars and restaurants shut down because of staffer infections, according to Eater.
In Los Angeles, red carpet events and nightlife came to a screeching halt over the new wave of infections.
The red carpet premier for the movie Cyrano was canceled on Dec. 16, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The Palm Springs International Film Society canceled their Jan. 6 gala, honoring Lady Gaga, Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Hudson and Kristen Stewart.
The suffering for the bar and restaurant industry across the country will only continue as New Year's Eve celebrations hav
e been curtailed.
New York City will limit the number of people who can gather in Times Square to watch the ball drop at midnight to 15,000 people, and they must be masked and show proof of vaccination. The event normally accommodates 58,000, according to NBC.
In fact, New Year's celebrations across the U.S. have been damped by the virus.
White House advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci recommended that celebrations be avoided all together.
'It's going to get worse before it gets better. That's for sure,' he said on Good Morning America on Monday.
At least three other glitzy Hollywood award ceremonies were also halted, according to the industry publication.
Omicron isn't the only reason Apple is short staffed - a number of workers staged a company-wide walkout on Christmas Eve as they demanded better pay, paid sick leave, mental health care and better protection for in-store employees.
Apple already twice delayed it return-to-office date this year. Originally, employees were going to return in January, but then it was pushed to February before putting it off indefinitely, according to The New York Times.
Now, it will depend on the infection rates decreasing before the company sets a new date, the Times reported.
The Biden administration has struggled to keep up with the wave and the political fallout from the crisis could be severe.
On Monday, the president was forced to deny a Vanity Fair report that he rejected a COVID-19 at-home testing plan that called for 732 tests per month. The operation would have ramped up testing to prevent the holiday surge.
'We didn't reject it,' Biden said.
The president said that he plans to distribute 500,000 at-home COVID tests to Americans in January.
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