As the Wuhan virus shows no signs of slowing down, some of the world's biggest tech companies are stepping in to help authorities combat the spread of the highly contagious disease that's now wreaking havoc around the globe.
Alibaba Group, the e-commerce titan from China, announced that it is preparing 1 billion yuan to help in the procurement of medicines and medical supplies in Wuhan, where the coronavirus is believed to have originated.
Alibaba disclosed it would work with facilities in 58 regions in China to fast track the production of medical aid. Some 3.3 million masks of a first batch of medical supplies will be delivered to Wuhan via so-called "green passages".
US tech giant Apple Inc also announced it will donate to organizations that are providing emergency aid to those affected. On Twitter, Apple chief executive officer Tim Cook said as people in China and around the world celebrate the Lunar New Year, "we send our love and support to the many people affected by the virus."
Cook's Twitter message also came out on Weibo, China's micro logging platform, and one of the biggest social media sites in the country.
Weibo users took Apple's comments very enthusiastically, and thanked its top executives for their support. As of late Saturday, Cook's message has been reposted on Chinese social media sites more than 4,500 times.
Cook has pledged to donate to groups "on the ground" working tirelessly to help those impacted by the coronavirus. Based on sources, Apple Inc's decision to help donate was initiated by a group of personnel in Cupertino, California on Friday.
As this developed, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of World Health Organization, will fly to Beijing, China, to meet with health and government officials to tackle the epidemic.
Despite the magnitude of the outbreak, the WHO has so far refused to declare it as a global health emergency. As of early Monday, cases of the coronavirus have been reported to 10 countries, with the number of deaths continuing to rise.
Several Chinese tech companies also announced they will be giving financial and medical assistance to help fight the spread of the disease.
Tencent announced it would donate 300 million yuan to support for the purchase of sanitizers, masks, and medical supplies, and help medical personnel in the field.
Another Chinese tech giant, JD. com, announced it had given out 1 million surgical masks and 60,000 other medical supplies to help contain the virus. Other e-commerce sites, like Taobao and Suning have all pledged to keep prices from increasing on medical items like masks and disinfectant.
Beijing-based Chinese multinational tech company Lenovo said it would donate IT equipment for a medical facility being built in the Chinese capital.
