Danish jeweller Pandora has temporarily closed all stores in major European and US markets as the global spread of Covid-19 continues to escalate. 

Affected markets in Europe include Italy, Spain, Germany and France, among others, while stores in the US will remain closed for the next two weeks, the company said in a statement. Pandora also called on its franchisees and multi-branded partners in distressed areas to voluntarily cease operations.

Most of its physical stores in China meanwhile have reopened, with traffic slowly improving.

“The temporary closure of the physical stores is not impacting the online stores, which remain fully operational. Pandora’s manufacturing facilities in Thailand and its regional distribution centres continue to run without notable impact from the situation,” the company said. 

Pandora has put on hold all business travel while most employees are working from home.

Data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that as of March 18, confirmed Covid-19 cases in the US reached 7,038, with 97 deaths. In Europe, a total of 70,989 people have contracted the disease, with 3,309 fatalities, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.