Cupertino, Mar 7 (IANS): Apple has reportedly suggested to its employees on the California campuses to work from home as an "extra precaution" eve as new coronavirus cases spread on the west coast in the US, especially Seattle area.

As Apple has not made a public statement regarding the move, it's not clear how many employees have been asked to work from home, Apple Insider reported on Saturday.

The company joins Microsoft, Google Facebook, and Twitter in requesting their employees to work from home.

Apple's flagship developers' conference WWDC 2020 in June is also at the risk of getting cancelled as the Santa Clara public health department has warned against large public gatherings. The event draws nearly 5,000 developers from across the world.

Apple has restricted its employees from travelling to Italy and South Korea.

The iPhone maker has also withdrawn from the 2020 edition of South by Southwest (SXSW) festival conference amid growing coronavirus concerns.

The US death toll from the new coronavirus has climbed to 14, according to Johns Hopkins' tracker, with 329 cases reported across the country.