SAN FRANCISCO: Apple is closing all of its stores outside China until March 27 in a bid to slow the spread of the new coronavirus outbreak, CEO Tim Cook said.

Cook said the firm had learned from steps taken in China, where the tech giant has just reopened its retail stores.

“One of those lessons is that the most effective way to minimize the risk of the virus’s transmission is to reduce density and maximize social distance,” he said in a statement Friday.

“As rates of new infections continue to grow in other places, we’re taking additional steps to protect our team members and customers.”

(with inputs from Agencies)