Since March, Apple stores in the United States have been closed in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. But that is about to change.

After nearly two months of total closure in the U.S., a handful of Apple stores will open next week

as Apple slowly begins to bring its brick-and-mortar stores back online

On March 13, Apple announced that it would close all stores outside of China for two weeks in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Shortly thereafter, as the global outbreak worsened, Apple extended that closure indefinitely.

Apple's decision means that all 271 stores in the United States are now closed for eight weeks. The company operates 511 stores worldwide.

The closures not only mean lost sales opportunities for Apple. Many customers use Apple Stores for product help and repairs at Apple's Genius Bar.

Apple stores outside the U.S. have already begun reopening. Stores in China, which closed in February, have now reopened for business, followed recently by stores in South Korea, Austria, and Australia. Apple stores in Germany are scheduled to reopen on Monday (May 11).

According to CNBC, Apple is starting slowly, opening stores in Idaho, South Carolina, Alabama, and Alaska. The total number of stores will be six. According to an Apple statement, these stores are scheduled to open next week.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman tweeted that the Apple Store in Boise, Idaho will be the first to reopen this Monday, followed by the remaining five stores. Gurman said that not all six stores will reopen next week.

Apple has not stated, and we emailed the company to ask for clarification of its plans. For now, it appears that Apple will follow state and local guidance regarding the lifting of coronavirus restrictions and adjust its store reopening plans accordingly.

Very much so. For starters, Apple will likely limit the number of people inside the reopened stores, so there will probably be lines outside the stores before entering. Whether in the store or in the line outside the store, expect Apple to act as a social distancer. People will need to stand six feet apart and, based on the experience of reopened Apple stores abroad, will need to wear masks before entering the store.

Apple's focus initially seems to be on helping customers with troubleshooting and repairs. The company told CNBC that walk-in customers may experience delays in entering the store. The company said, "If possible, we encourage customers to purchase online for contactless delivery and in-store pickup."

The company plans to implement additional safety measures, including temperature checks, for both customers and Apple Store staff. According to a Business Insider report on the reopening of stores in Australia, customers were temperature-checked before entering the stores and plenty of hand sanitizer was available in the stores.