Eleven stores in Arizona, Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina will be closing as of Saturday due to spikes in coronavirus cases in those communities. The six stores closed in Arizona are the only locations Apple operates in that state.

All of the states affected by these closures have been amongst those seeing a new surge in COVID-19 cases. Experts suggest that these regions may be seeing a spike in infections due to the fact that they avoided the worst of the virus's initial spread across the US Florida, in particular, have been singled out as a new potential epicenter for the outbreak.

Apple senior vice president Deirdre O'Brien explained as stores began to reopen last month: "These are not decisions we rush into. And a store opening in no way means that we won't take the preventative step of closing it again should local conditions warrant."