Apple Inc (AAPL.O) said it is closing all its retail stores, except those in Greater China, for the next two weeks to minimize the risk of coronavirus transmission.

Axar.az reports citing foreign media.

Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ.N) meanwhile said it was temporarily closing “a number of its stores” across the United States in order to expand its work from home policy to include some of its retail employees.

The announcements escalated the global response to the outbreak, as most major retailers have kept stores open so far.

"We will be closing all of our retail stores outside of Greater China until March 27," Apple CEO Tim Cook wrote in a letter apple.co/2w768jZ posted on the company's website late on Friday.

Apple reopened all 42 of its branded stores in China on Friday as the number of new cases fell in the country where the coronavirus outbreak originated.