According to Bloomberg, Apple will no longer require customers to wear masks at a number of Apple stores around the country, including Ohio, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, Georgia, and other states that have recently abolished local mask legislation. Employees at Apple stores will still be required to wear masks, regardless of vaccination status.
Apple’s website has recently been updated to identify which channels require masks, according to Bloomberg. When you use Apple’s retail store locator to locate a store, the site will indicate if masks are “required,” “recommended,” or “optional” for vaccinated customers at certain locations. Masks are still required in locations where restrictions are harsher, such as Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington. In certain areas, including as New York and Connecticut, face masks are only necessary for fully inoculated customers.
In addition to removing the mask requirement, Bloomberg reports that Apple is restarting its in-store classes, known as Today at Apple. Classes on composing music with Garageband, editing and shooting images on an iPhone, and making films using iMovie are available in certain locations. According to Bloomberg, some classes will resume this week, while others will return in March.
Apple has revised its mask policy in compliance with local suggestions since the beginning of the COVID-19 epidemic. Apple has a history of making quick adjustments — in November, the company began phasing out mask restrictions at retail locations, only to reinstall them in December when COVID-19 cases surged.