LVHM, the owner of high-end fashion label Louis Vuitton, has announced it will be using its perfume production lines to make hand sanitiser to help cope with demand in France.
The company said it wants to help out amid an ongoing shortage in France due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak and will give the gels to hospitals and health authorities free of charge.
In a statement released yesterday LVHM said: "Given the risk of a shortage of hydro-alcoholic gel in France, Bernard Arnault has instructed the LVMH Perfumes and Cosmetics business to prepare its production sites to manufacture substantial quantities of hydro-alcoholic gel to be provided to public authorities.
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"Through this initiative, LVMH intends to help address the risk of a lack of product in France and enable a greater number of people to continue to take the right action to protect themselves against the spread of the virus."
The statement continued: "LVMH will continue to honour this commitment for as long as necessary, in connection with the French health authorities."
The company said it would give 'priority' to Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, a university hospital trust.
The factories involved would usually be tasked with making perfumes for fancy brands including Givenchy and Christian Dior.
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The company will pump out 12 tonnes of anti-bacterial hand sanitiser this week, according to Sky News.
French health chief Jerome Salomon has said the outbreak is 'very worrying'.
He told France Inter: "The number of cases double every three days.
"I want our citizens to realise that there are people who are sick, who are in intensive care and that (their number) runs into hundreds."
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Official figures released in France last night show the coronavirus death toll at 127, with 5,423 confirmed cases - a jump of 36 deaths and more than 900 cases in 24 hours.
Commenting on the figures Salomon said: "There is a real worry that the speed of the outbreak could saturate hospitals and this is something we absolutely want to avoid.
"This is why we must do everything to slow down the outbreak.
"Each Frenchman and Frenchwoman must tell themselves every morning: how can I reduce by a third or fourth the number of people I approach? Remain at home, it's as simple as that."
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It's okay to not panic. LADbible and UNILAD's aim with our campaign, Cutting Through, is to provide our community with facts and stories from the people who are either qualified to comment or have experienced first-hand the situation we're facing. For more information from the World Health Organisation on Coronavirus, click here.
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: World News, coronavirus