Apple to acquire more COVID-19 tests for its workers amid surge of Delta variant

Apple workers who are being tested at home will now have to do it twice a week, instead of once, a report says.

Apple has decided to increase its COVID-19 tests for workers amid the rise of the Delta variant of the virus.

Image of the Toronto Star

The Toronto Star has recently reported a story from Bloomberg that the American tech giant Apple released a memo to corporate and retail employees that required them to undergo tests for COVID, in response to the increasing cases of the Delta variant of the virus, with testing twice a week instead once now imperative for workers at home.

The company from Cupertino in California told them, “With the emergence of more contagious variants like Delta, we believe that more frequent testing will better protect you and everyone at Apple… Beginning Aug. 16, Quest [Diagnostics] (DGX) will be sending you two mail-in test kits per week instead of one”, requiring three tests for workers in some offices.

Apple allows its workers to opt out of tests for COVID or receive shots. Bloomberg has reported that the tech giant hoped to bring workers back to its offices by September until the Delta variant arrived, prompting a reschedule to as early as October, with the entire staff returning by February.

Apple declined to answer Bloomberg about the change.

The stock has seen little change with a recent trade at USD 151.07, having grown by 12 per cent in the past six months.

Dan Ives, analyst from Wedbush, said earlier in a note of research on Tuesday that Apple “remains a top tech name to own”, affirming a rate of outperformance and target of share-price worth USD 185 on the maker of Macs and iPods, and adding, “Our favorite large-cap tech name to play the 5G transformational cycle is Apple, with the 1-2 punch of its massive services business and iPhone product cycle”.