Apple drops mask requirements for most of its corporate workers

“Wearing a face mask will no longer be required in most locations” | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Apple is dropping its mask mandates for corporate employees at “most locations,” according to an internal email from the COVID-19 response team, obtained by The Verge.

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

The move comes amid a surge in the highly transmissible BA.5 variant of COVID-19. Earlier this week, the Bay Area transit system BART brought back its mask mandate.

Apple started requiring some employees to return to the office in April, but stopped short of implementing its full hybrid model, which would mandate three days of in-person work for all employees, every week.

Read Apple’s internal...

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