Apple drops mask requirements for most of its corporate workers – The Verge

People await the start of a product launch event at Apple’s new campus in Cupertino, California, US September 12, 2017. REUTERS/Stephen Lam

Aug 1 (Reuters) – Apple Inc is dropping its mask mandate for corporate employees at most locations, the Verge reported on Monday, citing an internal memo. (https://bit.ly/3oJ3EQN)

This comes even as COVID-19 infections in the United States have been on the rise with the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants of the Omicron variant accounting for more than 90% of infections, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .

These subvariants have significant mutations from the earliest versions of Omicron and protection from vaccines wanes over time.

“Don’t hesitate to continue wearing a face mask if you feel more comfortable doing so,” the report quoted Apple as saying in the internal email. “Also, please respect every individual’s decision to wear a mask or not.”

Apple did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment outside regular business hours.

Reporting by Kanjyik Ghosh in Bengaluru; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu

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