Pop singer Rihanna donated protective gear to hospitals in New York as the state is now trying to control the coronavirus outbreak. State governor Andrew Cuomo thanked the singer for the donation to some of the overloaded hospitals in New York, according to a report on Billboard.
Gov. Cuomo said on his tweet: "I want to thank @rihanna and the Rihanna Foundation for donating Personal Protective Equipment to New York State. We're so appreciative of your help and that of so many others who have stepped up."
New York now has the highest case of COVID-19 in America, and it now has 5% of total world cases of the virus according to a report from The New York Times. There are now more than 16,000 cases of the coronavirus in the state as of Sunday night according to Gov. Cuomo himself.
The singer also donated $5 million to other organizations on the frontlines of the pandemic in the U.S, Caribbean and Africa through her foundation, the Clara Lionel Foundation, according to CNN. The donations will support food banks in high-risk areas, providing testing and other resources in places like Haiti, Malawi, and Native communities.
The organization started in 2012.
The New York state government did not specify the items the star donated. The hospitals need N95 masks, gloves, safety goggles, sanitation wipes, and full-length gowns. Gov. Cuomo also thanked the other people and companies like TV show host Kelly Ripa and her husband, actor Mark Consuelos for donating to front-liners. The couple donated one million dollars.
Other Donations From Celebrities and Companies
Aside from Rihanna, there are also celebrities and some companies that donated either money, food, or protective gear to help people combating the coronavirus. Here are some of the stars and companies who pledged to fight the virus. Some are even giving free treats for those who are in the front line.
Shawn Mendes
Canadian pop star Shawn Mendes and his foundation donated $175,000 to the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada. This is to provide the hospital with protective gear and resources to combat the virus in the hospital.
Versace
Mother and daughter Donatella and Allegra Versace donated 200,000 euros or more than $220,000 dollars to San Raffaele hospital in Milan, Italy, one of the hardest-hit cities by the coronavirus. They also support all of the medical staff that are working hard to contain the virus.
Bong Joon-ho and Suga
The Oscar-winning director and BTS member donated more than $82,000 each to the Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association. Their donations will be used to distribute face masks and hand sanitizers to those who are in need of protection in South Korea.
Starbucks
America's biggest coffee chain is giving free coffee for first responders and health workers. They will continue this until May 3, 2020. Doctors, nurses, police officers, firefighters, paramedics, and other hospital staff are also included.
Krispy Kreme
The doughnut chain gives a free dozen every Monday until May 11 to those in the medical sector who shows up with their affiliated hospital's ID. They can also go back for more if they want to.
James Taylor
Singer-songwriter James Taylor and his wife Kim donated $1 million to the Massachusetts General Hospital to support the President's Emergency Response Fund in response to the pandemic. The donations will use to support development of in-house testing, making a coronavirus hotline for patients, allowing spaces to take COVID-19 patients, purchasing protective gears and expanding telemedicine services the hospital has.
Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively
The couple donated $1 million, which they split to two donations. One for Food Banks America, and the other for Feeding America.
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