Coronavirus Update: Apple To Donate Millions Of Masks To Health Workers Fighting COVID-19

KEY POINTS

Apple is set to donate masks to healthcare professionals
The company wants to help them fight coronavirus
Apple CEO Tim Cook announced on Twitter

Apple is donating millions of respirator masks to healthcare professionals in the U.S. and Europe. Amid the coronavirus pandemic, there is a serious shortage of equipment and supplies essential to fight COVID-19.

Apple CEO Tim Cook confirmed on Twitter that the company vows to battle coronavirus and assist the healthcare professionals in the front lines.

“Our teams at Apple have been working to help source supplies for healthcare providers fighting COVID-19. We’re donating millions of masks for health professionals in the U.S. and Europe. To every one of the heroes on the front lines, we thank you,” Cook tweeted.

Our teams at Apple have been working to help source supplies for healthcare providers fighting COVID-19. We’re donating millions of masks for health professionals in the US and Europe. To every one of the heroes on the front lines, we thank you.
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) March 21, 2020

Vice President Mike Pence said in a press conference on Saturday said that companies could come forward and help in this challenging time. “It’s a great time to go to your storeroom, and if you have N95 masks — if you’ve got 100 of them, if you’ve got 10,000 of them — is to load ’em up [and] drive ’em over to your local hospital,” Pence said via Variety.

He also mentioned during the press conference that the Cupertino-based tech company would be donating two million masks to several U.S. organizations. “The president and I literally heard directly from Apple that they’re donating 2 million industrial masks to this effort around the country and working with our administration to distribute those.”

Meanwhile, Vice President Mike Pence tested negative for coronavirus, Katie Miller, his secretary tweeted and confirmed. She also stated that Second Lady Karen Pence also tested negative for COVID-19.

Pleased to report that the COVID-19 test results came back negative for both Vice President @Mike_Pence and Second Lady @KarenPence.
— Devin O’Malley 45 Archived (@VPPressSec45) March 22, 2020

Earlier Saturday, the vice president said that he would be tested after a staff member was confirmed a positive case. The staff member’s diagnosis was confirmed positive on Friday.

The coronavirus death toll March 22 stands at 13,048. More than 307,000 people are tested positive for coronavirus across the world. Several countries are taking steps to contain the spread. India starts its 14-hour curfew on Sunday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the curfew would add strength to the fight against this virus.