Apple will close all of its Apple Stores outside of Greater China in response to the global COVID-19 outbreak, CEO Tim Cook announced in a statement released Friday

Apple Stores in the United States and the rest of the world will remain closed until March 27 CEO Cook said customers can continue to shop at Apple's website and Apple's support pages will continue to operate for service and troubleshooting

Apple's statement also noted that hourly retail employees will continue to be paid according to their normal work hours and that the company's vacation policy has been extended to cover time off needed to recover from illness or to care for a loved one Like many companies around the world, Apple's office employees will work remotely

"We know that our users rely on Apple products all the time and especially in times like these," Cook said in a statement

Apple has also introduced new resources and live streams in response to the coronavirus outbreak; Apple News now has a dedicated section for COVID-19 so users can learn about the latest updates on the virus, and the company announced earlier this week that its June Worldwide Developer Conference will be an online-only event showcasing the latest updates to Apple's iOS, macOS, and watchOS

Apple's retail store closures are the latest in a long line of precautions the company is taking to curb the spread of COVID-19, including canceling major trade shows and entire sports seasons