Apple to make substantial donation of medical supplies to Italy amidst coronavirus pandemic

Tim Cook has announced that Apple will make a substantial donation including medical supplies to the Department of Civil Protection in Italy.

In a tweet he said:

It's never been more important to support each other. We're making a substantial donation including medical supplies to Protezione Civile in Italy, to help the heroic first responders, medical personnel & volunteers working tirelessly to protect & save lives. Vicini all'

It’s never been more important to support each other. We’re making a substantial donation including medical supplies to Protezione Civile in Italy, to help the heroic first responders, medical personnel & volunteers working tirelessly to protect & save lives. Vicini all’🇮🇹 ❤️

— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) March 19, 2020

Italy remains one of the hardest-hit countries amidst the global coronavirus pandemic. Most recent figures state that there are a total of 35,713 cases confirmed in the country and that deaths have nearly reached 3,000. 475 deaths were recorded in a single day yesterday.

According to the BBC:

The number of people dying from coronavirus in Italy has risen by 475 in one day to nearly 3,000 - the biggest increase since the outbreak.

There are a total of 35,713 confirmed cases in the country, with more than 4,000 having successfully recovered.

Lombardy, the worst-hit region, recorded 319 deaths in one day.

Apple's own operation in Italy has been severely impacted in the region as a result. Outside of China, Apple's Italian stores were the first to be forced closed as a result of the pandemic. It has since been forced to close all of its stores outside of greater China.

The coronavirus pandemic has also had an impact on Apple's supply chain, forcing it to bring in purchase limits on its websites globally.