A gin distillery owned by Shane Warne has started manufacturing hand sanitisers in an effort to fight the Covid-19 pandemic.

Warne’s company, SevenZeroEight Gin, has ceased making its titular tipple, and will instead produce 70 per cent alcohol rubs, supplying the commodity essential in fighting the novel coronavirus to two Western Australian hospitals. “This is a challenging time for Australians and we all need to do what we can to help our healthcare system combat this disease and save lives,” said Warne, whose company began the production of hand sanitisers on March 17.

“I am happy SevenZeroEight has the ability to make this shift and encourage others to do the same.”

The announcement from Warne comes in the aftermath of a woman stealing medical supplies from a hospital in Perth’s northern suburbs. The offender, a university employee, is alleged to have stolen face masks, antiseptic hand wash, wipes and swabs, prompting the Western Australia police to appeal for calm, amidst worldwide panic in the face of the virus outbreak.

The coronavirus, which first broke out in Wuhan in China’s Hubei province, has afflicted more than 220,000 individuals and has claimed nearly 9,000 lives. Australia, which is among the severely affected countries, has moved to close its borders in the face of rising new cases. The Scott Morrison government has announced efforts to pump in more than $100 billion to the country’s economy, in a bid to minimise the financial toll of the disease.