Steve Jobs granted medical leave of absence from Apple

Steve Jobs has been granted medical leave of absence from Apple, it is reported.

Jobs will reportedly stay on as CEO, with COO Tim Cook taking over day-to-day responsibility for running of the company. While exact details are unclear at present, the news comes almost exactly two years to the day since Jobs last had medical leave for what turned out to be a liver transplant.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the following note was sent today to Apple staff:

Team,
At my request, the board of directors has granted me a medical leave of absence so I can focus on my health. I will continue as CEO and be involved in major strategic decisions for the company.

I have asked Tim Cook to be responsible for all of Apple’s day to day operations. I have great confidence that Tim and the rest of the executive management team will do a terrific job executing the exciting plans we have in place for 2011.

I love Apple so much and hope to be back as soon as I can. In the meantime, my family and I would deeply appreciate respect for our privacy.

Further news is currently unavailable, and given Apple’s strict secrecy and Jobs’ own preference for personal privacy, we may not see any more official news for some time.

The news comes as Apple is expected to announce a new publishing model for iPad magazines and newspapers headed up by The Daily and a little something called the iPad 2 within the next few weeks. Expect Tim Cook to now head up those launches.

Read: What does Steve Jobs’ medical leave mean for Apple?