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TECHNOLOGY Saturday 20 June 2020
Apple closes stores in 4 states, again, as infections rise

By MICHAEL LIEDTKE has seen its efforts to restart
AP Technology Writer hampered in part by infect-
SAN RAMON, Calif. (AP) — ed workers.
Apple is closing 11 stores Like many of the biggest
in Arizona, Florida, North players in the technology
Carolina and South Caro- industry, Apple has been
lina that it had reopened faring far better than most
just few weeks ago as coro- companies as the U.S.
navirus infections rates in economy has plunged into
some regions in the U.S. be- a recession that is widely
gin to rise. expected to last through
The decision announced this year. Apple's stock
Friday is another sign that price hit a record high of
the pandemic might pre- $356.56 in Friday's early
vent the economy from trading before news of the
bouncing back as quickly store closures rattled inves-
as some states have been tors. The shares were down
hoping. Those concerns by about 1% in late-session
sent stocks on Wall Street trading.q
lower Friday.
Arizona and Florida have
both experienced rising in-
cidents of new cases and
rates of those testing posi- In this March 14, 2020 file photo, an Apple retail store is closed at a local mall in Scottsdale, Ariz.
tive for COVID-19. Associated Press
There were 286.7 new cas-
es of COVID-19 per 100,000 experienced an uptick, continued to sell iPhones, outbreaks, last month's un-
people in Arizona over the based on the John Hopkins including a new $399 mod- expected job gains could
past two weeks, which data. el released during the lock- be reversed, consumer
ranks first in the country There were 179.3 new cases down, and other products confidence would fall fur-
for new cases per capita. per 100,000 people in South in its online store. ther, and the economy
The rolling average num- Carolina over the past two Seven of the Apple stores might shrink even more this
ber of daily new cases has weeks, which ranks fourth in that are closing again are year than the Fed's already
increased by 1,024.1, or the country for new cases in Arizona. Two stores are gloomy forecast. Last week
143.1%. per capita. The rolling aver- closing in both Florida and Fed officials projected the
Over the past two weeks, age number of daily new North Carolina. The other economy would contract
the rolling average number cases has increased by one is in South Carolina. 6.5% this year, which would
of daily new cases in Florida 495, or 213.0%. Although he doesn't ex- be the biggest decline on
has increased by 1,422.7, or In North Carolina, the rolling pect the store closures to records dating back to the
144.4%., according to re- average number of daily put a significant dent in 1940s.
searchers at Johns Hopkins new cases has increased Apple's sales, Wedbush Se- Rosengren said he expects
University tracking the virus. by 36.8%, or 329.7 people curities Daniel Ives said the the unemployment rate,
"We take this step with an per 100,000. move "is a worrisome trend which was 13.3% in May,
abundance of caution as Apple began reopening that speaks to the volatility will still be in double-digits
we closely monitor the situ- more than 30 stores scat- and fluidity of this COVID by the end of this year,
ation and we look forward tered across the country environment." "given what are likely to be
to having our teams and last month after shutting Eric Rosengren, president of persistent economic head-
customers back as soon as down all of its U.S. brick- the Federal Reserve Bank of winds from the pandemic
possible," Apple said in a and-mortar locations in Boston, on Friday warned over the second half of the
prepared statement. March. The Cupertino, that if reopening busi- year."
The Carolinas have also California, company has nesses results in more viral The auto industry, for one,

Google loses appeal

against $56 million fine in

France

PARIS (AP) — France's high- European data privacy
est administrative court has rules that took effect in
upheld a fine of 50 million 2018.
euros ($56 million) Google Google appealed the pen-
was ordered to pay for not alty issued by the French
being "sufficiently clear and data privacy watchdog In this file photo dated Nov. 18, 2019, Google employees walks
transparent" with Android to the Council of State, out of Google France building in Paris. France.
users about their data pro- France's final arbiter in such Associated Press
tection options. cases.
Google was first slapped The council ruled Friday Google and that the fine Google's failings.
with the fine in January that the National Data was not disproportionate, In response, Google said
2019, the first penalty for a Protection Commission "given the particular seri- it would look at making
U.S. tech giant under new had the right to sanction ousness" and duration of changes.q