Apple is donating money to support relief efforts in India as the country grapples with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, CEO Tim Cook said.
“Amid a devastating rise of COVID cases in India, our thoughts are with the medical workers, our Apple family and everyone there who is fighting through this awful stage of the pandemic,” Cook wrote in a tweet sent to his 12.8 million Twitter followers.
India is currently being hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. On Monday, it set a new record for daily infections — 350,179 cases — for a fifth straight day. India’s COVID-19 cases surpassed 17 million, second only to the United States. There have been 195,123 deaths so far confirmed in India as a result of the disease. However, the real total could be significantly more than that. Hospitals are experiencing a massive shortage of oxygen, while the country’s vaccine drive has greatly slowed.
Amid a devastating rise of COVID cases in India, our thoughts are with the medical workers, our Apple family and everyone there who is fighting through this awful stage of the pandemic. Apple will be donating to support and relief efforts on the ground.
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) April 26, 2021
Offering aid around the world
This is far from the first time Apple has made donations to help battle COVID-19. Last year, it made numerous donations to hard-hit regions including Italy and China, in addition to helping out plenty in the United States.
It’s not just COVID-19, either. Apple frequently donates money and, where possible, supplies to disaster-relief efforts. Previously efforts included cleaning up after Hurricane Florence and assisting tsunami victims in Indonesia.
India’s population of 1.366 billion makes it roughly equal in size to China.