UPS Japan donates over 5,000 respirator masks to Tokyo hospital

UPS donates personal protective equipment (PPE) to healthcare workers as they fight the coronavirus pandemic.

Tokyo, Japan

UPS (NYSE:UPS) today announced the donation of 5,250 N95 respirator masks to the Japanese Red Cross Musashino Hospital in Tokyo.

The masks will help to ensure that healthcare workers at the hospital have access to the necessary supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) as they continue to fight the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

UPS Japan has the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) necessary to protect its employees, while also being able to donate hospital-grade protective equipment to healthcare workers to help alleviate potential future shortages in the global supply of N95 masks.

"The government's lifting of the national State of Emergency was a hugely positive step forward in Japan's efforts to tackle the coronavirus pandemic, but we know that those working in the medical sector still remain at risk," said UPS Japan President, Daryl Tay.

"On behalf of everyone at UPS Japan, I would like to thank all the healthcare professionals for their incredible efforts in fighting the spread of this virus. We are honoured to be able to offer this small token of our appreciation and we are ready to support our customers and communities as we take the first few steps on the road to recovery together."

Dr. Namiki Izumi, Director of Japanese Red Cross Musashino Hospital, added, "We have a critical responsibility to prevent infections in hospitals and it is extremely important for us to have a system in place to help us do that; but we continue to face challenges in securing protective equipment.

"Even when the number of patients decreases, we need to be prepared for any recurring outbreaks and we are grateful for this generous donation from UPS as we continue our battle against this pandemic."

Besides supplying its employees with personal protective equipment (PPE), UPS has moved to reduce the risk of spreading the infection by regularly advising staff on how to minimise exposure to the virus including through the practice of social distancing, providing the necessary supplies of PPE and implementing a contactless delivery experience by temporarily suspending requirements for customers to sign for parcels.

Designated by the governments of countries around the world as a critical infrastructure business or essential service, UPS deliveries are saving lives and livelihoods. The company offers its heartfelt thanks to the 495,000 UPSers around the world, whose work is essential during the pandemic, and who continue to deliver safely every day.

About UPS Healthcare

UPS Healthcare delivers unparalleled healthcare logistics expertise to its customers around the world. UPS Healthcare has 11+ million square feet of cGMP and GDP-compliant healthcare distribution space globally. Its services include inventory management, cold chain packaging and shipping, storage and fulfilment of medical devices, and lab and clinical trial logistics. UPS Healthcare's global infrastructure, its UPS^® Premier visibility service, its track and trace technology, and its global quality system are well-suited to meeting today's complex logistics demands for the pharmaceutical, medical device, and laboratory diagnostic industries.