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Shane Warne's "wartime shift" to help hospitals during pandemic

Former cricket legend Shane Warne has turned his gin distillery into a hand sanitiser factory to help supply Australians during the coronavirus pandemic.

SevenZeroEight halted production of its gin this week to produce medical grade 70 per cent alcohol hand sanitiser for Western Australian hospitals.

The decision was made by Warne himself as well as the company’s founders, which include two WA surgical specialists, the cricket legend said.

An agreement has been reached between two nominated Western Australian hospitals and the company to provide a continuous supply of hand sanitiser at cost.

The names of the hospitals are not made public.

"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," Warne said in a media statement.

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

Warne founded the gin distillery last year and was named after the 708 wickets he took during his test career.

His urge to help came after coronavirus panic buying has left shelves empty in supermarkets and pharmacies across Australia.

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shane warne, cricket, gin, hand sanitiser, coronavirus