Coronavirus: Apple temporarily closes all of its stores outside Greater China

Apple has announced it will close all its retail stores worldwide, except in Greater China, until 27 March and is encouraging office staff to work remotely.

Apple is closing all of its stores outside Greater China for two weeks. Source: DPA

Apple says it will close all its retail stores, except those in Greater China, for the next two weeks to minimise the risk of coronavirus transmission.

"We will be closing all of our retail stores outside of Greater China until March 27," Apple chief executive Tim Cook wrote in a letter posted on the company's website.

"In all of our offices, we are moving to flexible work arrangements worldwide outside of Greater China," he added. "That means team members should work remotely if their job allows."

Apple reopened all 42 of its branded stores in China on Friday.

The company's donations to the global coronavirus response, to help treat those who are sick and to help lessen the economic and community impacts, reached $US15 million ($A24 million) on Friday, Cook wrote in the letter.

More than 138,000 people have been infected worldwide and over 5,000 have died, according to a Reuters tally of government announcements.

Australia clocked up 237 cases of COVID-19 on Saturday after three South Australians became infected.

Of those reported cases in Australia, three people have died and 27 people are reported to have recovered.