Apple said it has developed and is producing face masks for corporate and retail employees to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus.
Apple confirmed to Bloomberg News that the company conducted research and testing to find the right materials to filter the air properly while not disturbing the supply of personal protective equipment to medical personnel.
The Apple Face Mask was reportedly developed in-house by the Cupertino, Calif.-based company’s engineering and industrial design teams, the same staffers who work on Apple’s devices including iPhones and iPads.
The new masks are made up of three layers to filter incoming and outgoing particles, Bloomberg News reported, adding that the company told employees the masks can be washed and reused as many as five times.
Apple will also reportedly distribute a product called ClearMask, which the company developed with Washington, D.C.-based Gallaudet University, which educates deaf and hard-of-hearing students. Apple told employees that ClearMask is the first completely transparent surgical mask cleared by the Food and Drug Administration, according to Bloomberg.
The company tested the ClearMask with employees in three Apple stores and is also exploring its own transparent mask options, the news outlet reported.
Apple had previously provided employees with standard cloth masks. Apple also offers basic surgical masks to customers at its stores.