Masks donated by Apple and Facebook for health workers were stockpiled after wildfire regulations
The World Health Organization declared coronavirus (COVID-19) a global pandemic on March 11. When large tech companies including Apple and Facebook announced this week that they'd be donating stockpiles of protective masks to health workers around the world, some people may have wondered why they had them in the first place. Masks are in short supply around the world as the coronavirus spreads and threatens to overwhelm health systems in the U.S. Apple said it is donating 9 million protective masks and other equipment to health workers in the U.S. and Europe. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told health workers last week that they can use homemade masks "in settings where facemasks are not available."
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