Apple Donating Over 20 Million Masks to Healthcare Professionals, Producing Face Shields With Suppliers

[MacRumors]

Apple CEO Tim Cook today shared a video message with an update on the company's response to the ongoing pandemic.

Cook said Apple has now sourced over 20 million masks that it is in the process of donating to healthcare professionals around the world. Apple is working with governments to ensure that the masks are donated to the places of greatest need.

Cook added that Apple's design, engineering, operations, and packaging teams are working with suppliers to design, produce, and ship face shields for medical workers. Apple plans to donate one million face shields by the end of this week, followed by an additional one million per week. Cook said the face shields take less than two minutes to assemble.

The adjustable face shields can be packed flat, allowing 100 to fit in each box. Shipments will initially go to medical facilities in the United States, but Apple plans to expand distribution globally at a later date.

Apple recently delivered its first batch of face shields to Kaiser medical facilities in the Santa Clara Valley and said feedback was very positive.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1246916489589837824

Article Link: Apple Donating Over 20 Million Masks to Healthcare Professionals, Producing Face Shields With Suppliers

 

[rhyzome]

Savin' the world

 

[tex210]

Hope they help someone.

 

[chaputc09]

These are the best face shields we’ve ever made

 

[adamjackson]

Thank you Apple.

 

[Soccertess]

Man, while I haven’t liked Apple’s products under Tim cook’s leadership, he is a supply chain master who could swing apple’s weight to get things done.

Thank you Tim/Apple for stepping up and saving lives!

Just don’t make these masks only compatible with Apple Music

 

[dtmoy]

Did you have to end with "the results were positive?" Anyway, great job Apple!

 

[ipedro]

These are the best face shields we’ve ever made

Ok, that’s actually funny.

 

[pdaholic]

My ER received a bunch of Apple’s clear face shields, and I wore one yesterday seeing patients. Worked great! Thanks Apple!

 

[citysnaps]

Huge hat-tip to Mr. Cook and Apple stepping up to help during this crisis.

 

[farewelwilliams]

they need MaskID on iOS 14

 

[PickUrPoison]

Hope they help someone.

20 million masks and a million face shields per week. They’ll help tens or hundreds of thousands of healthcare workers.

Without effective response by those in charge, we’re left to rely on charity.

Thanks, Tim Apple.

 

[hipeno]

the supply chain:

 

[now i see it]

The question needs to be asked: What were they doing with 20 million masks in the first place?
If they didn't have them, but bought them all up to distribute to others, what's the point of that?
It's not like health care places can't afford masks — they can't find any.
And if they couldn't find any? How is it that Apple found/had 20 MILLION of them?

Something seems really weird about this whole thing. It doesn't sound right.

 

[citysnaps]

The question needs to be asked: What were they doing with 20 million masks in the first place?
If they didn't have them, but bought them all up to distribute to others, what's the point of that?
It's not like health care places can't afford masks — they can't find any.
And if they couldn't find any? How is it that Apple found/had 20 MILLION of them?

Something seems really weird about this whole thing. It doesn't sound right.

Apple has kept a stock for employees in different Apple locations during the massive wildfires California has been suffering from over the years.

 

[cmaier]

The question needs to be asked: What were they doing with 20 million masks in the first place?
If they didn't have them, but bought them all up to distribute to others, what's the point of that?
It's not like health care places can't afford masks — they can't find any.
And if they couldn't find any? How is it that Apple found/had 20 MILLION of them?

Something seems really weird about this whole thing. It doesn't sound right.

They have a supply chain throughout the world. They know where to find factories that can churn these things out. The governor of a random state probably doesn’t. The U.S. government presumably could have done the same thing.

 

[Lerxt]

The question needs to be asked: What were they doing with 20 million masks in the first place?
If they didn't have them, but bought them all up to distribute to others, what's the point of that?
It's not like health care places can't afford masks — they can't find any.
And if they couldn't find any? How is it that Apple found/had 20 MILLION of them?

Something seems really weird about this whole thing. It doesn't sound right.

They’re used in their production facilities to protect workers. Shocking huh?

 

[smirking]

Something seems really weird about this whole thing. It doesn't sound right.

Supply chains are complex. Hospitals normally do not buy their own supplies on the open market. They belong to purchasing organizations that manage the buying for hundreds of hospitals that subscribe to their services and ship each one what they need. These purchasing organizations are basically like CostCos on steroids for hospitals.

If hospitals are going out to buy basic supplies on their own, something has gone horribly wrong and their usual supply chains have collapsed. That's probably why companies with alternate supply chain relationships have been able to swoop in and contribute. It's not that Apple has greater healthcare supply chain purchasing power than the behemoth purchasing organizations that normally source the products, but Apple has access to atypical sources that have not been exhausted yet.

 

[mikethebigo]

The question needs to be asked: What were they doing with 20 million masks in the first place?
If they didn't have them, but bought them all up to distribute to others, what's the point of that?
It's not like health care places can't afford masks — they can't find any.
And if they couldn't find any? How is it that Apple found/had 20 MILLION of them?

Something seems really weird about this whole thing. It doesn't sound right.

Did it seriously not occur to you that their factories probably regularly use face masks in their production lines?

 

[gsmornot]

The question needs to be asked: What were they doing with 20 million masks in the first place?
If they didn't have them, but bought them all up to distribute to others, what's the point of that?
It's not like health care places can't afford masks — they can't find any.
And if they couldn't find any? How is it that Apple found/had 20 MILLION of them?

Something seems really weird about this whole thing. It doesn't sound right.

The answer has been shared many times but its simple. The state of CA requires companies to have N95 masks for employees due to wildfires and they have to have a number of them per employee because they become saturated during use. If you have worn one, its good when its cool for a few hours at most. They are dense and dont last long if its hot at all and you’re breathing heavy. Anyhow, 20M is a lot but they have a lot of employees in the state.

 

[CarlJ]

These are the best face shields we’ve ever made

Thinnest. You were supposed to say, "These are the thinnest face shields we've ever made."

 

[mi7chy]

Apple has kept a stock for employees in different Apple locations during the massive wildfires California has been suffering from over the years.

Do you ever check your facts before posting FUD? Apple has 36,786 employees in California. Why are they hoarding 20 million masks? That's like 543 masks per California employee and only some parts of California were affected by fire.

https://www.apple.com/job-creation/

 

[lkrupp]

Amazing place, MacRumors. Apple does a good thing and is immediately attacked, its motives questioned, its CEO excoriated and belittled.

 

[cmaier]

Thinnest. You were supposed to say, "These are the thinnest face shields we've ever made."

They don’t come with enough RAM.

 

[macfacts]

I'd buy one