As COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread across the globe claiming 69,789 lives by Monday, companies like Tesla and Apple have stepped in to ensure supplies of medical equipment amid this crisis.
On Sunday Apple CEO Tim Cook said that the company will soon be producing one million face shields a week for medical workers battling the coronavirus pandemic. The tech giant had already sourced 20 million surgical masks from around the world to help address a global shortage, chief executive Tim Cook said in a video posted to Twitter on Sunday.
But the company had also designed its own transparent protective face shield and begun mass production at its factories in the US and China, he added.
“We plan to ship over one million by the end of this week,” said Cook. Initial distribution would be focused on the US but the company hoped to “quickly expand distribution” to other countries, he said.
Apple is dedicated to supporting the worldwide response to COVID-19. We’ve now sourced over 20M masks through our supply chain. Our design, engineering, operations and packaging teams are also working with suppliers to design, produce and ship face shields for medical workers. pic.twitter.com/3xRqNgMThX
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) April 5, 2020
Apple joins several global firms that have modified their production lines to meet demand for protective gear, including Italian luxury brand Prada, and Louis Vuitton. A report by BBC said, the luxury goods maker says it wants to help tackle a nationwide shortage of the anti-viral products across France. “These gels will be delivered free of charge to the health authorities,” LVMH announced on Sunday. “LVMH will use the production lines of its perfume and cosmetic brands… to produce large quantities of hydroalcoholic gels from Monday,” LVMH said in a statement.
Automobile company Tesla has also started manufacturing ventilators as countries around the world face shortage of essential medical equipment. Tesla founder, Elon Musk has promised to deliver the FDA approved ventilators worldwide for immediate use and not for hoarding.
We have extra FDA-approved ventilators. Will ship to hospitals worldwide within Tesla delivery regions. Device & shipping cost are free. Only requirement is that the vents are needed immediately for patients, not stored in a warehouse. Please me or @Tesla know.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 31, 2020
US President Donald Trump last month issued a federal order forcing auto giant General Motors to manufacture ventilators after a shortage of the hospital equipment, which is crucial for treating critical COVID-19 cases.