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Apple Inc. will no longer require customers to wear masks at many of its stores starting Friday, according to a new report.
Citing an internal memo it obtained, Bloomberg News reported Thursday that Apple
AAPL,
was easing its mask rules as COVID-19 cases decline and vaccinations rise nationwide.
Face masks for customers — whether they’re vaccinated or not — will no longer be required at more than 100 of the 270 Apple Stores in the U.S. starting Friday, with more stores being added in the coming days.
Apple employees will still be required to wear masks, and customers must still wear masks in areas with local mask mandates, such as San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Last month, a security guard at an Apple Store in Manhattan was stabbed in a dispute over mask-wearing.
Apple Stores dropped their mask rules in June, but reinstated them in July as the delta variant led to a surge in coronavirus infections.
Most Apple office workers are still working remotely; in August, the company delayed the reopening of its offices until January, after which workers are expected to be in the office at least three days a week.
