Apple Requiring Retail Employees in Some Regions to Wear Masks, Other Employees Encouraged to Do So - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

Apple Requiring Retail Employees in Some Regions to Wear Masks, Other Employees Encouraged to Do So

Amid spiking cases in the ongoing health crisis, Apple has started urging its employees to wear masks in retail store locations once again, and is mandating it in some areas, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

apple store palo alto
Apple stopped requiring fully vaccinated customers and employees to wear masks at Apple Store locations in June, but with the Delta variant spreading across the United States and impacting even those who have been vaccinated, Apple is being more cautious.


In Santa Clara County where Apple's headquarters are located, local health authorities have begun recommending that masks be worn in indoor public locations, but it is not a mandate. In Los Angeles County, masks are once again required, so Apple employees in this area will indeed be wearing masks.

All Apple stores worldwide are still open at this point in time, and it is not clear if there will be further shutdowns in any areas.

Apple had planned to have its corporate employees return to work in September, but yesterday said that those plans have been delayed until October at the earliest. Corporate employees will be given at least a month's notice before they have to return to work.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Popular Stories

apple store down 2026 iphone 18 pro

Apple Store Down Ahead of iPhone 18 Pro Pre-Orders

Friday September 11, 2026 11:30 pm PDT by
Apple's online store is down ahead of iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max pre-orders, which begin at 5:00 a.m. Pacific Time on Saturday, September 12. "We love that early energy," reads the Apple Store's message when visiting the U.S. website. "Almost ready for you. Pre-order begins at 5:00 a.m. PT. See you soon." Apple has been opening pre-orders at 5:00 a.m. Pacific Time for several years, ...
apple store down sept 2026

Apple Store Down Ahead of 'Surprise and Shine' iPhone 18 Pro Event

Wednesday September 9, 2026 4:20 am PDT by
Apple's online storefront has gone down ahead of the "Surprise and Shine" Apple event taking place later today, where several new products are expected to be announced. Apple is expected to announce new iPhone 18 Pro models and its all-new foldable iPhone Duo, as well as Apple Watch Series 12, Apple Watch Ultra 4, and AirPods 5. The company could also announce the release dates of its next...
Apple Store Wallpaper Basic Apple Guy

Apple's Newest Store Features Three Design Changes

Monday September 14, 2026 1:23 pm PDT by
Apple Victoria Gardens in Rancho Cucamonga, California reopened on Saturday with three key design changes, which will continue to roll out to other new and renovated stores. MacRumors reader Katelyn H. attended the grand reopening and shared some photos of the renovations on LinkedIn. The store now has a Genius Bar again instead of a Video Wall, plus dedicated Apple Pickup and Today at Apple...

Top Rated Comments

67 months ago
Good for Apple looking out for everyone's health! Get vaccinated, people.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
67 months ago

Well, now that's absolutely false.
It’s absolutely false? Japan and the Philippines reported mask compliance at over 98% for over a year. Why didn’t COVID disappear in those countries?


The subtext is clear - the honor system of asking unvaccinated people to wear masks didn't work and so now everyone has to wear them since there's no way to tell the groups apart.
Why would everyone have to wear them if vaccines work?
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mashdots Avatar
67 months ago

Everyone wore masks for 15 months but COVID still spread like wildfire. Might as well wipe your butt with those stupid things. They’re useless against COVID except for people who are coughing and sneezing, who shouldn’t be out anyway.

We had 8 of those 15 months without vaccine

The issue is a lack of vaccinations. We started well, but now have hit a wall, states like MO aren't helping with 40% or so vaccinations. Also, Florida accounts for 1 in 5 cases across the country

Masks help, vaccinations are the answer
Not to mention, not everyone wore masks. There were tons of reports of public gatherings where people neither wore masks nor socially distanced themselves.

There's plenty of evidence pointing to the fact that they do work; people just need to stop thinking about themselves and mask up.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iGeneo Avatar
67 months ago

Everyone wore masks for 15 months but COVID still spread like wildfire. Might as well wipe your butt with those stupid things. They’re useless against COVID except for people who are coughing and sneezing, who shouldn’t be out anyway.
We had 8 of those 15 months without vaccine

The issue is a lack of vaccinations. We started well, but now have hit a wall, states like MO aren't helping with 40% or so vaccinations. Also, Florida accounts for 1 in 5 cases across the country

Masks help, vaccinations are the answer
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
67 months ago
I'm not interested in protecting anti-vaxxers.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mashdots Avatar
67 months ago

There’s no evidence masks work.
Here's just a handful of studies and articles that point to the fact that masks work.

* https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/in-depth/coronavirus-mask/art-20485449
* https://files.fast.ai/papers/masks_lit_review.pdf
* https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2020/06/417906/still-confused-about-masks-heres-science-behind-how-face-masks-prevent
* https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20201119/how-much-does-wearing-a-mask-protect-you
* https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus/coronavirus-face-masks-what-you-need-to-know
* https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/masks-save-lives-heres-what-you-need-to-know-2020111921466
* https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33087517/

They're not a perfect solution; nobody said they were. Hell, even vaccines aren't 100% effective, but they work. They reduce the spread and that's what we're trying to do here. Obviously if you want to avoid risk, it's better to stay at home or if you have to go out to practice social distancing and sanitize regularly.


We’re going to wear masks forever?
Not sure. Before COVID, I still saw the occasional traveler wearing a face mask as a precaution (I think the trend started with SARS, but I could be wrong).
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)