Help in troubled times

The emphasis on hygiene to limit the spread of the coronavirus has suddenly made hand sanitiser an essential part of daily life. Luckily, a growing number of drinks companies (with access to neutral alcohol) and beauty groups (equipped to make gels and liquid soaps) are stepping into the breach. Amber Beverage Group in Latvia, owner of Stolichnaya vodka, is one example. Its Riga plant is helping to counter the shortage of disinfectants in the Baltic states by producing hand sanitiser.

L’Occitane Group is doing the same thing in France, designating the verbena-scented hand gel it is making for the use of healthcare workers. In February, the group’s Chinese subsidiary donated moisturising lotion and hand cream to hospital staff in Wuhan and Shanghai whose prolonged use of protective clothing can lead to skin problems. Meanwhile, the world’s biggest soap-manufacturer, Unilever, has promised €100 million in free soap, sanitisers, bleach and food to the COVID Action Platform of the World Economic Forum and local partnership projects in the US, India, China and Europe.

Swiss confectioner Lindt & Sprüngli is donating CHF 1 million to help individuals and families most affected by Covid-19 in the country. The funds will be channelled through Glückskette, otherwise known as Swiss Solidarity, a non-profit-making organisation for charitable, social, and humanitarian-aid campaigns.

Another purveyor of delicious delicacies, Fauchon, is doing its bit to raise spirits in its native Paris. The luxury delicatessen brand sent boxes of its teas, chocolates and biscuits to medical staff working at eight hospitals across the French capital.