Major luxury brand company LVMH is converting its perfume and cosmetics factories to instead produce hand sanitizer during the coronavirus outbreak, which it plans to give free to French authorities and France’s largest hospital system.
The France-based company, which is behind brands including Louis Vuitton, Dior and Givenchy, said in a press release Sunday that it hoped to begin making hydroalcoholic gel in its factories starting Monday, as the coronavirus pandemic results in stores worldwide being cleared of the product.
“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 from the spread of the virus,” the company said in a statement.
The decision comes as France has closed public gathering places including bars and restaurants to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Meanwhile, in the United States, more than 2,900 people are confirmed to have the coronavirus, and roughly 60 people have died from the disease as of Sunday afternoon.