On Mar. 25, 2020, Merck announced it had donated 300,000 masks to New Jersey’s Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness. New Jersey had confirmed more than 3,500 novel coronavirus cases, the second-highest in the U.S. after New York state. Merck also announced a donation of 500,000 masks for use in New York City.

“At Merck, we recognize that our global mission to save and improve lives starts in New Jersey, home of our global headquarters and thousands of our employees,” said Kenneth C. Frazier, chairman and chief executive officer, Merck. “We extend our deepest appreciation to the many healthcare providers and volunteers here and around the world who are doing so much to help affected patients and communities, and to our own employees who are focused on delivering our critically important medicines and vaccines to the patients who need them.”

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Merck remains focused on protecting the safety of its employees and their families, assuring that our supply of medicines and vaccines reach our patients, contributing our scientific expertise to the development of antiviral approaches, and supporting our healthcare providers and the communities in which they serve.