It is now official. An Apple employee on the Apple campus in Cork, Ireland, has been infected with the novel coronavirus.
Today, the first Covid-19 infection case at Apple was officially confirmed. The employee is already in quarantine - other colleagues have been asked to stay at home. The next step will be to thoroughly clean the offices. An official statement says:
One of our staff in Cork has been confirmed to have Covid-19. We are working closely with local health authorities who assess the risk to others as low and the individual remains in self-isolation. As a precautionary measure, we have asked some of our team members to stay at home while we work with the Health and Safety Executive to assess the situation. We continue to carry out regular deep cleaning of all our offices and stores and will take all necessary precautions in line with the advice of health authorities.
Apple Store employees receive unlimited sick leave
In an earlier report, a change to Apple's new policy regarding the coronavirus was announced. According to this, the company has promised all retail employees unlimited sick leave if they experience Covid-19 symptoms. Those affected do not have to provide a doctor's note - and their salary will also be paid in full.
WWDC 2020 will not take place
Although Apple has not yet officially cancelled this year's WWDC (World Wide Developer Conference), there is little hope. The reason is a new ban. After the Santa Clara County recently new rules of conduct published, a ban has now been issued. Accordingly, no mass gatherings are allowed in the entire district. Since the WWDC has around 5,000 visitors each year, the event falls into this category. It is assumed that Apple will hold the WWDC digitally. Accordingly, there could be a livestream in front of an online audience. However, an official confirmation from Apple is still pending. (Photo by shawn_h / Bigstockphoto)
