Microsoft will donate 240,000 surgical masks and 30,000 box lunches to help people during the coronavirus outbreak

Microsoft logo at Ignite
Microsoft logo at Ignite (Image credit: Windows Central)

What you need to know

  • Microsoft will donate surgical masks, box lunches, and hand sanitizers to people in the Puget Sound area.
  • The donations are to help people during the coronavirus outbreak.
  • Microsoft is helping people in a variety of ways during the outbreak.

These donations are part of a continued effort to help people during the current health crisis. Microsoft partnered with several large organizations to launch a regional COVID-19 Response Fund and donated $1 million towards that fund's launch earlier this month. Microsoft has also made premium Microsoft Teams features available for free users and made Microsoft Teams free for NHS staff.

Microsoft founder Bill Gates is also committed to helping during the health crisis. He has worked to make testing its more available.

Many of Microsoft's efforts, including the donations that will happen this week, focus on the Puget Sound area. This is Microsoft's local community, as the company is headquartered in Redmond, Washington.

Sean Endicott
News Writer and apps editor

Sean Endicott is a news writer and apps editor for Windows Central with 11+ years of experience. A Nottingham Trent journalism graduate, Sean has covered the industry’s arc from the Lumia era to the launch of Windows 11 and generative AI. Having started at Thrifter, he uses his expertise in price tracking to help readers find genuine hardware value.

Beyond tech news, Sean is a UK sports media pioneer. In 2017, he became one of the first to stream via smartphone and is an expert in AP Capture systems. A tech-forward coach, he was named 2024 BAFA Youth Coach of the Year. He is focused on using technology—from AI to Clipchamp—to gain a practical edge.