U.S. Vice President Mike Pence announced Tuesday that Apple has donated nine million N95 respirator masks to help hospitals and medical workers deal with the growing coronavirus pandemic.
Apple is donating 9 million masks from its storehouses to health care facilities around the country, Pence says https://t.co/Q3cBxtKuOh pic.twitter.com/7lCv81uMIv
— CBS News (@CBSNews) March 24, 2020
Pence said, “Apple went to their storehouses and is donating nine million N95 masks to healthcare facilities all across the country and to the national stockpile. There is a level of generosity that I know is inspiring to the president and is truly inspiring to all of us who are working on the White House coronavirus task force.”
The larger donation comes after Apple CEO Tim Cook pledged to donate two million industrial respiratory masks to help health-care workers last Saturday. Cook confirmed on Twitter Saturday that the company had been working behind the scenes to find supplies of masks for healthcare workers in both the U.S. and Europe.
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
Pence called on other companies Saturday to step up and follow suit with more physical donations. He said he was optimistic about the supply of masks and said clothing-maker Hanesbrands is retrofitting some of its factories to manufacturer masks.
