Coronavirus Update: Apple Sends Care Kit To Employees In China’s Hubei Province And Wenzhou City

KEY POINTS

Apple sends gift packages to employees in China's Hubei province
29 out of 42 Apple stores in China have reopened
The working hours have been shortened

After the coronavirus outbreak, Apple was forced to shut down its stores. Now, it has reopened 29 of the total 42 retail stores in China. In order to show gratitude to its employees, the tech giant has sent “CareKit” to its employees and their family members in China.

Images of the gift package and a letter surfaced on Weibo, a popular social network app in China. The kit includes an Apple iPad, hand sanitizer, face masks, wipes, tea, butter cookies, coffee and more, Macrumors reported.

The recently reopened stores are working on shortened hours as many of the staff members of retail, manufacturing and corporate division stay at home. Families who received the “CareKit” are “moved” by this gesture.

“We hope this note finds you healthy and well. Since the last communication with you, we understand that you are all staying strong in this challenging time. We understand the difficulties you are facing and would like to provide our best support to you and your families. Hubei and the city of Wuhan have been hit hardest by the coronavirus outbreak, which has now claimed 2,835 lives in China,” the letter read.

The letter also stated that the entire Apple team is sending their best wishes to the employees and their families. In the letter, it mentioned that the kit has comfort items and the iPad can be utilized to “facilitate children’s online learning or help pass the time during the prolonged stay at home.”

Moreover, there will be a series of consultation and counselling sessions for the employees to help them during this time.

Meanwhile, the current death toll because of coronavirus is 2,943 and more than 85,000 confirmed cases. On Feb. 29, 571 new coronavirus cases were reported from mainland China.

Elsewhere, South Korea has also witnessed a surge in the number of confirmed cases, which stands at 376 bringing the total to 3,526 in the country. The total number deaths due to coronavirus are 17 as of March 1, 9 a.m. local time.