Apple has begun designing face shields to protect health care workers during pandemic, Tim Cook says
- Apple says it plans to ship one million face shields per week to protect health care workers in the US during the coronavirus pandemic
- The tech giant is also doubling the number of face masks it is donating to 20 million
The tech giant is also increasing the number of face masks it's donating to 20 million, double the amount it had previously committed to providing.
The first of Apple's newly developed face shields were delivered to Kaiser Permanente hospital facilities located in California's Santa Clara Valley this past week.
Cook said that each shield assembles in less than two minutes and is fully adjustable, adding that the feedback from doctors so far has been positive. The company hopes to expand distribution of these shields beyond the US.
“We are closely coordinating with medical professionals and government officials across the US to get these to where they're needed most urgently,” the Apple CEO said in the video.
Apple tells staff US stores to remain closed until early May
It is a companywide effort, as Cook said the company's design, engineering, packaging, and operations teams as well as its suppliers are working on the project.
Apple plans to ship 1 million face shields by the end of this week, and 1 million per week after that, according to Cook. The company is sourcing materials and manufacturing in both the United States and China.
Cook also said the company will be providing 20 million protective face masks for health workers in the US, coming just after Apple said on March 25 that it would donate 10 million.
Google launched a mobility report that uses aggregate anonymised data from apps like Google Maps to provide an indication of how peoples' movements have changed in recent weeks, potentially helping public health officials understand how the public is abiding by social distancing guidelines.
Facebook also said it would invest US$100 million in the news industry to support journalism throughout the pandemic.
This article originally appeared in Business Insider.
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