Apple Inc. is stepping up to the plate in supporting coronavirus medical relief by designing and producing face shields for those working in the medical field.

Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook took to Twitter to share the news, noting that along with sourcing over 20 million face masks through Apple’s supply chain, the company’s design, engineering, operations and packaging teams are also working with suppliers to design, produce and ship face shields for medical workers.

Apple has already delivered its first shipment of the face shields to the Kaiser Hospital in Santa Clara, California, and is said to have received positive feedback from doctors.

Face shields, as opposed to face masks, provide an additional level of protection against coronavirus contagion. The plastic shields go across the front of the face and reduce the risk of catching the virus. A peer-reviewed study in 2016 found that used in conjunction with face masks, the shields provide barrier protection to the facial area and related mucous membranes and offer a number of potential advantages.

Apple is dedicated to supporting the worldwide response to COVID-19. We’ve now sourced over 20M masks through our supply chain. Our design, engineering, operations and packaging teams are also working with suppliers to design, produce and ship face shields for medical workers. pic.twitter.com/3xRqNgMThX

— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) April 5, 2020

Apple plans to ship more than 1 million face shields by the end of the week and then continue with similar or higher levels of shipments in the following weeks, according to Apple Insider.

“For Apple, this is a labor of love and gratitude and we’ll share more of our efforts over time,” Cook said. “In the meantime, each of us can stop the spread of the virus by following expert advice to stay home, and practice social distancing.”

Apple is not alone in producing face shields during the pandemic. Given that they are made from plastic, they can be 3D-printed. Across the world, those in the tech industry and others with access to 3D printers are joining the effort in producing face shields for health workers.

Photo: U.S. Army