Apple has doubled its donation to support efforts to battle the outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus.
Tim Cook revealed the increase in donation in an email to Apple employees, describing the impact coronavirus is having on the company. Check it out below:
Team,
The response to COVID-19 has touched the lives of so many in the Apple family, and I want to thank everyone for their dedication, empathy, understanding, and care. Today, we more than doubled our donation to support the historic and global health response.
Our paramount concern is with the people who make up Apple’s community of employees, partners, customers, and suppliers in China. I also want to recognize the many people across our teams who have been working around the clock to manage Apple’s global COVID-19 response with diligence and thoughtfulness.
Corporate offices and contact centers have reopened across China, and our stores are starting to reopen, but we are experiencing a slower return to normal conditions than we had anticipated. This afternoon, I shared this update with our community of shareholders and investors to note that we do not expect to meet the revenue guidance we provided for the March quarter. Outside of China, customer demand across our product and service categories has been strong to date and in line with our expectations. Apple is fundamentally strong, and this disruption to our business is only temporary.
Our first priority – now and always – is the health and safety of our employees, supply chain partners, customers, and the communities in which we operate. Our profound gratitude is with those on the front lines of confronting this public health emergency.
Tim
Apple is helping battle coronavirus in China
Cook’s message was sent shortly after Apple published new guidance revealing that it would miss revenue targets for the quarter. The majority of iPhones are produced in China, causing supply challenges as factories scramble to deal with the virus. While some are reopening, they are suffering from a shortage of workers. They must also conform to stringent safety requirements.
In addition, the demand for Apple products in China has taken a hit. Some have suggested coronavirus could help drive online sales via the App Store. However, this is almost certainly more than counterbalanced by the closure of Apple Stores throughout China. A handful of stores re-opened over the weekend with limited hours. These remain the minority, though.
More than 1,700 people have so far died from the novel coronavirus, known as CORVID-19. Upward of 71,000 people have been infected. Cases have been reported in multiple countries, but China accounts for the majority.
Apple CEO Tim Cook first revealed that Apple was donating money to battle coronavirus in January. He did not specify how much Apple was contributing. In the past, Apple has donated around $1 million to disaster relief efforts, including cleaning up after a hurricane in America and assisting tsunami victims in Indonesia.
Source: Bloomberg
