BEIJING, CHINA - FEBRUARY 01: A Chinese employee wears a protective mask as he sits in the showroom of an Apple Store after it closed for the day on February 1, 2020 in a shopping district in Beijing, China. Apple announced it was closing all of its stores in China until February 9th due to the outbreak of the coronavirus in Wuhan, The number of cases of a deadly new coronavirus rose to almost 12000 in mainland China Saturday, days after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a global public health emergency. China continued to lock down the city of Wuhan in an effort to contain the spread of the pneumonia-like disease which medicals experts have confirmed can be passed from human to human. In an unprecedented move, Chinese authorities have put travel restrictions on the city which is the epicentre of the virus and neighbouring municipalities affecting tens of millions of people. The number of those who have died from the virus in China climbed to over 250 on Saturday, mostly in Hubei province, and cases have been reported in other countries including the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, South Korea, India, the United Kingdom, Germany, France and several others. The World Health Organization has warned all governments to be on alert and screening has been stepped up at airports around the world. (Photo by Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)
The most valuable multinational technology company in the world, Apple,treated employees with custom-made Face Masks both in the retail and corporate sectors to fight-off the Novel coronavirus or COVID-19. Apple takes extra measures to guarantee its employees' safety and the public who wishes to visit the store during this time.
The technology company, Apple, also took part in the battle against the global pandemic with its company-issued face masks called the 'Apple Face Mask' and the first-ever US Food and Drug Administration-approved 'ClearMask' for its employees who are still required to report to work.
Bloomberg reports that these masks are currently being distributed for its staff for the next two weeks.
CHARLESTON, SC - MAY 13: A security guard takes the temperature of a customer outside the Apple Store on May 13, 2020 in Charleston, South Carolina. Customers had their temperatures taken and were required to wear masks at the South Carolina store, as locations in Idaho, Alabama, and Alaska reopened as well following forced closures due to the coronavirus. (Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty Images)
The Apple Face Mask is designed by the engineers from the Engineering and Industrial Design teams who created the iPhone and iPad tablets, now doubling as designers for protective equipment such as the mask. The tech company manufactured the masks in its factories and warehouses that are originally for electronic devices.
The mask offers three layers of filtration and protection to whoever will wear it. The engineers said that the masks are suitable for five uses provided it is washed and disinfected correctly. The Apple Face Mask sports a re-adjustable ear-loop string for a secure fit and sufficient wraps around the nose and chin area to cover the lower half of a person's face.
ClearMask-Apple Used For Better Understanding
Apple clarifies that the 'ClearMask' was not manufactured in the company's factories; instead, a design was done by the team in partnership with researchers from Washington's Gallaudet University. The university is known to specialize in educating deaf students, including those who experience a hard time with their sense of sound.
'Clear Mask' is the first FDA-approved transparent mask that will flood the industry for its design to show a person's covered below-the-face region for a more comfortable conversation. The FDA-approved transparent cover still brings protection from the Novel coronavirus that immediately stops particles from entering. Its top and bottom part are lined with filtration systems that also serve as spacers between the mask and the person's face.
Apple recently used the ClearMask in three locations to test its effectiveness and purpose in a retail-based situation. The company is currently working on manufacturing and designing a new transparent mask for its future use.
Apple also doubles as PPE manufacturers this COVID-19
CHARLESTON, SC - MAY 13: Employees at the Apple Store help customers on May 13, 2020 in Charleston, South Carolina. Customers had temperatures taken and were required to wear masks at the store, also reopening locations in Idaho, Alabama, and Alaska following forced pandemic closures. (Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty Images)
Apple also redirected its manufacturing towards creating personal protective equipment such as Face Shields for medical workers to fill in the market's supply-demand. During the pandemic's reign, medical workers saw a massive shortage in PPEs, including face mask and face shields.
Apple created its original-design face shields distributed to medical and health workers to meet the needs and demands of the health sector. Apple's face shields are donated to medical workers to help the frontlines combat the Novel coronavirus.
The public who visits the Apple Stores over the past months when the pandemic struck were also given surgical face masks upon store entry. Apple required a mandatory wearing of a face mask inside its retail stores to impede the virus's spread.
