These luxury conglomerates have donated to charities and local governments to help fight the Novel Coronavirus Infection
It's been a time of uncertainty as the number of people affected by the outbreak of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) continues to climb. As of today, the total number of reported cases around the world has reached over 14,557. The World Health Organisation declared the outbreak—which originated in Wuhan, China—to be a global health emergency. In Singapore, there are 18 confirmed cases as of yesterday.
In the midst of it all, several global fashion companies are stepping up to the plate and donating funds to fight the contagious virus.
LVMH, parent company of Louis Vuitton, Dior and other luxury labels, has contributed US$2.3 million to the cause. Kering Group, the parent company of Gucci, Saint Laurent and Balenciaga to name just a few of its brands, has donated US$1 million.
“Our thoughts are with the many impacted by the novel coronavirus outbreak, and therefore we have decided to donate the funds as an immediate contribution to assist,” François-Henri Pinault, Kering’s CEO, told WWD.
Funds have also flooded in from other major companies, including US$720,000 from L'Oreal, US$430,000 from Swarovski and US$290,000 from Estee Lauder and Shiseido. Closer to home, China's own Alibaba has donated US$144 million, while Tencent contributed US$43.25 million to combat the outbreak.