New York State Launches Hand Sanitizer Brand

In response to reported shortages and price gouging of hand sanitizer products related to the spread of coronavirus, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Monday the state will begin producing its own brand of hand sanitizer.

The state plans to distribute around 100,000 gallons a day of its “New York State Clean” (NYS Clean) sanitizer to schools, government agencies, the state’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and other not-for-profits around New York for free.

According to CNBC, the hand sanitizer, which is 75% alcohol, is being produced by prisoners at the Great Meadow Correctional Facility in Washington County, New York through a business called Corcraft, which describes itself as “an entity within the NYS Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.”

According to Cuomo, it costs US$6.10 to produce one gallon of New York’s hand sanitizer. “It’s much cheaper for us to make it ourselves than to buy it on the open market,” Cuomo said in Monday’s press conference. 

Two days before Cuomo revealed NYS Clean, he declared a state of emergency to help New York more quickly and effectively contain the spread of the virus. As of March 11, the state has more than 190 confirmed cases of coronavirus.