Recently, Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, confirmed that the company has sourced over 20 million masks for healthcare workers, while at the same time revealing the company is also designing, producing, and shipping custom face shields.
Apple’s Face Shields (capitalized by Apple, so we’re going with it) are designed to offer a “regular fit” and an “extra space” option, making it more comfortable and adaptable for each specific situation the accessory might be needed for healthcare workers. The support document is available as a printable PDF, and there is even a video to go along with it, detailing how to assemble the new Face Shield.
For healthcare workers that might need additional assistance, the support document states that they can email the company directly for more information when needed.
The Face Shield is designed to be reused, thanks to the fact it can be sterilized. That should go a long way to helping those on the frontlines of the global coronavirus pandemic, as they will no longer have to toss a shield just because it was used once.
Apple is hoping to ship one million masks per week, as Cook himself stated earlier this week. I’m just going to go ahead and highlight one of the important parts from the confirmation:
Second, we’ve launched a company-wide effort bringing together product designers, engineering operations and packaging teams — and our suppliers — to design, produce and ship face shields for health workers.
Our first shipment was delivered to Kaiser hospital facilities in the Santa Clara Valley this past week and the feedback from doctors was very positive. These pack flat, one hundred to a box. Each shield is assembles in less than two minutes and is fully adjustable.
We’re sourcing materials and manufacturing in the US and China.
We plan to ship over one million by the end of this week and over one million per week after that. We are closely coordinating with medical professionals and government officials across the US to get these to where they’re needed most urgently.
Apple’s efforts in this regard are certainly noteworthy. In related news, the company has made some changes to Apple Maps, highlighting things like food delivery, pharmacies, hospitals, and more in light of the pandemic.