Mentioned in this article
- Razer will convert part of its Singapore production facility from peripheral manufacturing to that of producing surgical masks.
- Company CEO Min-Liang Tan said Razer would donate up to 1M of the masks.
- Forty-two people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Orange County, California, where Razer’s North American headquarters is situated.
Razer, a global gaming hardware manufacturing company, has converted part of its factory production lines from creating gaming peripherals to that of making surgical masks. According to a series of Twitter posts by company CEO Min-Liang Tan, Razer is looking to produce and donate up to 1M surgical masks to help medical professionals while they deal with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) threat.
Razer has devoted some of its manufacturing lines to produce surgical masks, according to a Twitter thread from CEO Min-Liang Tan. The company will donate up to 1M masks around the world as countries continue working to slow the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.
While Razer’s production lines and one of its two headquarters are located in Singapore, Tan is said to have contacted local government officials in regards to donating shipments of surgical masks to the United States. COVID-19 has started to spread rapidly in California, so much so that 9M people in Northern California have been ordered to shelter in place (basically, to stay home). Razer’s North American headquarters are located in Irvine, California, where 42 people have tested positive for COVID-19.
Tan started a Twitter thread that began with, “So I haven’t had much sleep over the past couple of days to get this initiative up and running, but I’m happy to be able to announce this on behalf of the team here at @Razer.”
He then explained further in another tweet.
“While there has been incredible demand for our products during this time with many staying home to avoid the crowds (and to play games), the team at Razer understands that all of us have a part to play in fighting the virus — no matter which industry we come from.”
Surgical masks have been in short supply as people concerned with the spread of COVID-19 started to buy them in bulk. With the supply chain affected by the virus coupled with the number of masks being bought by consumers, there has been a shortage for medical professionals.
In fact, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) has now authorized the use of bandanas or scarves when masks aren’t available, though the effectiveness of this measure is unclear at this time.
The World Health Organization has asked for help, estimating it needs approximately 89M masks per month, and to hit that mark needs a 40% increase in production.
