In light of the COVID-19 pandemic running rampant through much of the globe, Razer has decided to step in and make a dramatic, temporary change. On Facebook, Razer CEO, Min-Liang Tan, wrote a heartfelt post explaining why the company has pivoted towards the production of surgical masks.
Razer is making surgical masks now
© Razer
Razer has decided to convert some of their manufacturing lines away from peripherals and towards a different product altogether... surgical masks. According to Razer CEO, Min-Liang Tan, the company’s goal is to provide up to one million masks to health authorities in several different countries affected by COVID-19.
As for why Razer is doing this, there’s currently a global shortage of surgical masks. This is partially due to high demand as healthcare workers treat a growing number of patients, and interrupted production in countries that normally make masks due to the spread of COVID-19.
“Over the past few days, our designers and engineers have been working 24-hours shifts to convert some of our existing manufacturing lines to produce surgical masks so that we can donate them to countries around the world,” Min-Liang Tan explained.
“We intend to donate up to 1M masks to the health authorities of different countries globally. For starters, we’ve been in touch with the authorities in Singapore (where Razer SEA HQ is based) to donate some of the initial shipments to assist their fight against COVID-19.”
Singapore won’t be the only country receiving masks from Razer as the team is reaching out to other health authorities in other countries in order to coordinate the donation of surgical masks. The post goes on to encourage gamers to keep themselves and their families safe, and to support one another in these trying times.
Razer also hints that the production of surgical masks is only the first step in the company’s fight against COVID-19.
“This emergency conversion of some of our lines and donation of masks is the first step of many that Razer will take. We are committed to contributing our extra time, resources, effort, and talent toward the fight against COVID-19. If you’d like to get involved with our fight against the virus, please follow the Razer social media channels.”
The response to Razer’s initiative has been mostly positive, with gamers seeking out ways in which they can help support companies like Razer in their efforts. As for how you can keep yourself safe right now, it’s recommended that you wash your hands frequently, practice social distancing, and stay home as much as humanly possible.
When it comes to surgical masks, we’re happy to hear companies have stepped in to help increase production as healthcare workers desperately need access to these protective items in order to avoid catching COVID-19 themselves. Without healthcare workers, the COVID-19 situation would become much more dire than it currently is.
Header image courtesy of Piqsels, CC-0
