July 20 (Reuters) - Apple Inc (AAPL.O) will delay the return of its employees to office by at least a month to October at the earliest, as COVID-19 cases surge back in the United States and abroad, Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday. The iPhone maker will inform its employees at least a month before their expected return to offices, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter. (https://bloom.bg/36Prdyc) Apple did not respond to a Reuters request for comment. In June, the company asked employees to return to offices for at least three days a week from early September, veering from the stance of other big technology firms that were permitting full remote work. read more Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook had originally planned a summer return. Many tech companies, including Twitter Inc (TWTR.N) and Salesforce.com Inc (CRM.N), have opted for hybrid or permanent remote-work models