The news is filled with coronavirus – there is a growing concern and panic regarding the sudden burst of this virus. A lot of companies have shut their shops in China temporarily until some clarity regarding the virus is brought to the frame. Apple already closed two of its stores in the country and it appears to be closing one more.
Google has already closed its offices and has limited the number of flights going to China or making stops in the country. Similarly, Starbucks has also closed its stores in the country for an undisclosed time period.
Apple CEO Tim Cook confirmed at the Q1 2020 earnings call that the company had shut one of its stores in Qingdao, China. As of now, we know that Apple has shut three of its shops in the country. The company plans to reopen its Nanjing and Fuzhou stores by 3rd of February whereas the Qingdao based store will open on the 4th of February.
At present, the count of people infected with coronavirus is reported to be 6000, a majority of which are from China. The virus does not appear to be limiting to a place, as it continues to spread to countries like the UAE and to some parts of Europe.
Apple suppliers based out of China will keep their plants closed till the 10th of February – partly because of Chinese New Year and also regarding the coronavirus. The Cupertino based company has reported that it is working on gathering some data regarding the virus. Also, it has been reported that the sale of Apple products have taken a hit due to the virus.
Tim Cook during Apple’s earnings call said that, the company forecasts to make $63 billion to $67. The range is large because of the sudden outbreak of the coronavirus.