Rihanna’s philanthropy in this time of a pandemic continues to boost her status as a figure who uses their wealth to assist the public. New York’s Gov. Andrew Cuomo publicly thanked the global star for donating protective gear and other supplies toward the state’s healthcare workers, which presumably includes masks, gloves and other items that help to prevent the contagious COVID-19 virus.
“We’re so appreciative of your help and that of so many others who have stepped up,” Cuomo stated on Thursday (March 26). According to NBC New York, New Jersey and N.Y. are two of the most impacted states in the U.S. that’s battling COVID-19’s spread. In New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio is calling for a surplus of ventilators that’ll be needed in the coming days. Hospitals, like Elmhurst Hospital in the Queens borough, has reached a critical point in a dire need for supplies. There’s over 500,000 global positive cases of the virus.
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.
5/5
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) March 26, 2020
The news arrives days after Rihanna’s Clara Lionel Foundation donated $5 million to organizations battling the pandemic globally.
“When we first began this year, never could we have imagined how (the coronavirus) would so dramatically alter our lives. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you’re from, this pandemic will affect us all,” a statement from the foundation reads. “And for the world’s most vulnerable, the worst may be yet to come.”