All Apple Stores in England Expected to Close Due to New Lockdown Restrictions

All 32 of Apple’s retail stores in England are expected to close for a four week period. England will be entering its second lockdown period beginning on November 5th to curb the rise in COVID-19 cases. This will effectively temporarily close all non-essential businesses, including Apple Stores.

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced the plans for England to enter a new lockdown period. As reported by MacRumors, non-essential businesses must shutter their doors until December 2nd. This will effectively force operations of restaurants, gyms, and retail spots such as Apple Stores to close their doors for the four week period. As with the first lockdown period many countries experienced, citizens are expected to stay indoors with the exception of essential shopping, medical check-ups and socially distanced outdoor exercise.

This new lockdown comes as the launch of the iPhone 12 Mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max are on the horizon. Apple had targeted the release of both products for November 13th. While Apple has not currently commented on the news, customers who intended to preorder the device for in-store pick up will likely be affected by the closures. It’s all but certain that Apple will only be able to offer online delivery in the region as Apple Stores will not have a way to facilitate in-store pick-up orders. Preorders for the iPhone 12 Mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max will begin this Friday, November 6th.

Additional countries and regions such as France, Belgium, Wales, and Northern Ireland have also entered a second lockdown. Non-essential businesses have been temporarily closed and most will remain closed until December in the hopes to help curb the regional surge in COVID-19 cases.