Razer, commonly known for its gaming-related peripherals both for console and PC users, has focused its efforts on creating a safe environment for the public by manufacturing face masks and giving them away for free via vending machines.
This initiative has been rolled out in Singapore, where Razer’s CEO Min-Liang Tan is a citizen and aims to make5 million of these face masks available for residents aged 16 and above. As stated earlier, these will be distributed for free via vending machines which will be placed in malls and around the business district ready for when lax lockdown restrictions come into place on June 1st. Individuals can access these masks by scanning a QR code that is being distributed via Razer Pay, their mobile wallet app.
Tan alludes to the fact that this distribution of masks is the first in a number of company efforts and “Razer will continue our endeavors in supporting Singapore to be self-sufficient for face masks as a nation,” Additionally, with concerns that this may be used as a tool to get more individuals to simply sign up for Razer Pay, Tan also wrote this in a Facebook post:
“This is the only way we’ll be able to ensure there’s no free for all on the masks. We aren’t the government and have no access to the Identity Cards etc. We’re funding this completely ourselves and would like to ensure there’s no fraud.”
These masks are sadly only intended for single use but the Singaporean government has supplied the 5.7 million residents with an initial batch of face shields, so access to another free mask is a step further in creating the longevity required to keep the nation safe.
All in all, this is a fantastic selfless act by Tan and his team at Razer, self-funding a program that will benefit his home nation and keep people safer for longer during this pandemic. We hope to see other companies follow suit and maybe implement this vending machine method of free mask distribution around the globe.
