Apple to reopen a store in Shanghai today with reduced working hours

Apple had first shut its stores in China till February 10 and then extended it till February 15.

Pedestrians wearing protective masks use a smartphone under an umbrella in front of an Apple Inc. store in Shanghai, China, on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2020. China is entering the "most critical time" in its fight to contain the spreading coronavirus, a government official said. (Bloomberg)

Apple Inc said on Friday it would reopen one of the seven retail stores it has in Shanghai from Feb. 15 with reduced working hours, a day after the iPhone maker said a few retail stores in Beijing would start functioning from Feb. 14.

The company extended its retail store closures in conronavirus-hit China last week, while it worked towards opening its corporate offices and contact centres in the country.

Coronavirus has claimed 1,380 lives, infected 63,851 on the Chinese mainland, and has spread to at least 24 countries.

It has led to lockdown of cities, extended new year holidays and factory closures that have disrupted the supply chains of several companies.