Apple CEO Tim Cook on Wednesday said the tech giant is giving 10 million masks to healthcare workers in the U.S. in an effort to help combat the coronavirus pandemic.
Cook made the announcement in a brief video shared on Twitter.
“Apple has sourced, procured, and is donating 10 million masks to the medical community in the United States,” Cook said. “These people deserve a debt of gratitude for all the work they’re doing on the front lines.”
Proud to share we’ve been able to source 10M masks for the US and millions more for the hardest hit regions in Europe. Our ops teams are helping to find and purchase masks from our supply chain in coordination with governments around the world. pic.twitter.com/uTsA6eA5ks
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) March 25, 2020
He added, in the accompanying tweet, that “millions more” will be donated to healthcare workers in Europe.
Cook said he was recording his video while working from home — signed basketballs from his alma maters Auburn and Duke University were featured in the background — and urged anyone watching to stay at home as much as possible and to follow guidelines on social distancing.
Apple, like most companies, has been hit hard by COVID-19. Last month, the company warned the coronavirus had “temporarily constrained” the company’s production of iPhones in China, and warned the company’s Q2 revenue projections would be lower than initially estimated. Apple’s stock, which was trading near $330 per share in early February, is at about $257 per share on Wednesday after gaining a few percentage points.
