To limit the spread of COVID-19, Apple has designed two types of face masks for its corporate and retail employees, Bloomberg is reporting. The masks called the Apple Face Mask and Apple ClearMask, have been developed in-house by the tech giant exclusively for its staff.
According to the publication, the masks have been designed by Apple’s Engineering and Industrial Design teams, the same groups that work on devices such as the iPhone and iPad.
Apple says it conducted careful research and testing to find the right materials to filter the air properly. The company is expected to start sending these masks to its staff over the next two weeks.
The Apple Face Mask is made up of three layers to filter incoming and outgoing particles. It can be washed and reused as many as five times.
The mask looks unique with large coverings on the top and bottom for the wearer’s nose and chin. It also has adjustable strings to fit around a person’s ears.
The other model, the ClearMask, is the first FDA-cleared surgical mask that is completely transparent, Apple told employees. It shows the full face so people who are deaf or hard of hearing can better understand what the wearer is saying.
So far, Apple has been providing its employees with standard cloth masks while also offering basic surgical masks to customers visiting its retail locations.
