Apple will reopen 21 of its 22 retail locations in Australia on Thursday, May 7, according to Apple's dedicated websites for each of the stores. All of the stores that are reopening will operate on limited hours for the time being.
Apple's sole Australian store that will remain closed is the Apple Sydney store. As noted by 9to5Mac, this store closed in January for major renovations, and it is possible that the global health crisis caused a construction delay.
All of Apple's retail stores in Australia and elsewhere in the world have been closed since March 14, with the exception of stores in Greater China and a single store in South Korea that reopened in April.
Apple CEO Tim Cook last week said that Apple was going to reopen stores in Austria and Australia this week, and Apple's sole Apple Store in Vienna will be reopening on Tuesday, May 5.
There is still no word on when stores in North America will reopen, but Cook also said that Apple is planning to reopen a few stores in the U.S. starting in May. Store openings will be staggered, with Apple evaluating data that includes local guidelines and recommendations before reopening.
Apple plans to reopen stores on a city by city, county by county basis, and will implement social distancing measures. In South Korea, where one store has been open since mid-April, Apple has been focusing on device repairs and order pickups rather than standard shopping and browsing, and the same protocols will be followed in Austria and Australia.
Apple plans to require temperature checks before customers are allowed in the store, and a limited number of people will be able to enter the store at one time, leading to potential delays for walk-in customers. In a statement to Bloomberg, Apple said that it recommends customers buy online for delivery or use in-store pickup where possible.
