Apple to reopen stores in Australia, Austria this week

Apple Inc on Monday said it will reopen its sole retail store in Austria and 21 of its 22 stores in Australia after shutting them in March to help curb the spread of Covid-19.

The location in Austria will open on May 5, while the Australia stores will open on May 7. The company's flagship store in Sydney remains closed due to renovation.

"To start, we will open with additional safety procedures including temperature checks, social distancing and an adjusted schedule, to ensure customers and employees continue to stay healthy," Apple said in a statement. "Our social distance protocol means a limited number of visitors in the store at one time so there may be a delay for walk-in customers."

The company shut its physical retail locations earlier this year as the virus swept from China across the world. Apple reopened locations in China first, followed by the company's lone store in South Korea. Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook told Bloomberg TV last week that Austria and Australia would be next.

ALSO READ: Apple to open its online store in India this year, says Tim Cook

Apple said that it recommends customers still buy products online for delivery because the stores, initially, will focus on technical support. Apple has 458 stores outside of China and plans to reopen them gradually.

Apple retail chief Deirdre O'Brien recently told employees that the company will open "many" stores in May, including some in the U.S. Cook told Bloomberg some locations would open by the middle of the month.