Boeing donating 250K masks to help fight coronavirus spread

Boeing says it will begin dispersing thousands of medical-grade respiratory masks to combat a medical supply deficiency in China amid the spread of the new coronavirus.

The company will provide 250,000 of the masks to local health official in Wuhan, Hubei Province, and Zhoushan, Zhejiang Province, it said in a Wednesday statement.

President and CEO of Boeing Dave Calhoun said that he hopes the donation would aid in limiting the spread of the coronavirus and make the situation more manageable for medical personnel and other aid workers.

“Our thoughts continue to be with all those in China dealing with the health impacts related to the coronavirus,” Calhoun said.

The company has already provided 25,000 masks for employees working in the affected provinces.

The U.S. government has urged travelers to China to “exercise increased caution” as cases of the disease continue to grow. Five cases in the United State have been confirmed so far, all among people who had been to China.