Tim Cook donating millions of masks to health workers in US, Europe

Apple’s CEO Tim Cook confirmed on its Twitter handle that the company is donating the millions of masks to healthcare workers in the United States and Europe.

Tim Cook said that the company is working to help source additional medical supplies as well.

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

Hospitals in numerous countries struggle to provide basic supplies to healthcare workers, and tech companies are pitching in to address the shortfall.

Vice President Mike Pence said in a briefing that 2 million N95 masks were headed to the US.

https://twitter.com/alx/status/1241423150476386304

This comes alongside other contributions, including $15 million in donations and a program that lets Apple Card owners skip their March payments without interest.

Apple certainly isn’t alone in supporting the fight against COVID-19, including direct equipment donations.

Founder of Alibaba Jack Ma had also donated masks, test kits, protective suits and face shields, while Tesla’s Elon Musk has offered to make ventilators.

Even so, it’s part of a positive trend and suggests that tech companies may play a significant role in fighting the pandemic whether or not they have directly relevant expertise.

This is the latest humanitarian effort from Apple in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

The company has also made a donation of medical supplies to Protezione Civile in Italy.

Apple also committed at least $15 million to help lessen the economic impact of the epidemic.

Earlier, Founder of Alibaba, Jack Ma, announced that his firm will donate essential supplies to 10 countries in South and South East Asia.

Announcing this in his tweet, Jack ma said, “Go Asia! We will donate emergency supplies (1.8 million masks, 210,000 test kits, 36,000 protective suits, plus ventilators and thermometers) to Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Delivering fast is not easy, but we’ll get it done!”

Go Asia! We will donate emergency supplies (1.8M masks, 210K test kits, 36K protective suits, plus ventilators & thermometers) to Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan & Sri Lanka. Delivering fast is not easy, but we'll get it done!

— Jack Ma (@JackMa) March 21, 2020

India is the only South Asian country not in this list.

But this is not the first time Jack Ma has announced such a move.

Recently, he announced that he will donate 500,000 coronavirus testing kits and 1 million masks to the United States.