New York state will produce hand sanitizer made by prison inmates
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) said Monday inmates in a state prison will produce 100,000 gallons of a state-branded hand sanitizer to offset reported price gouging by vendors and shortages of the product in government agencies, schools, prisons and mass transit lines stemming from the coronavirus outbreak.
Cuomo’s announcement came during a daily press conference on the COVID-19 outbreak, which has worsened in New York over the last week.
We’re hearing from local governments that acquiring hand sanitizer has been a real problem.
NYS will immediately begin producing hand sanitizer ourselves — 100,000 gallons per week. We'll provide it to government agencies, schools, the MTA, prisons, & others. #COVID19— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) March 9, 2020
Gov. Cuomo announced today that New York State is producing hand sanitizer. The governor says it is cheaper to make ourselves than purchase it. He says they will give it to schools, jails, government agencies, etc. If price gouging continues, Cuomo says they will start selling it pic.twitter.com/NtLSU54Km5
— WGRZ (@WGRZ) March 9, 2020
Called “NYS Clean,” the hand sanitizer will be produced by inmates at Great Meadow Correctional Facility in upstate New York.
Corcraft, the division of the state’s Department of Corrections and Community Supervision that arranges industrial and manufacturing work for prison inmates, pays inmates an average of 65 cents per hour, Gothamist reported in 2017.
Last week, the Marshall Project reported that many prisons are ill-equipped to protect inmates from the coronavirus outbreak — including not being able to supply alcohol-based hand sanitizer because in some facilities, it is considered contraband.
Cuomo at his press conference boasted about the prison product’s higher alcohol level (75%, more than the 60% recommended by the Centers for Disease Control for alcohol-based hand sanitizers), lower price and “floral bouquet” scent.
“This is a superior product to products now on the market,” he said, after unveiling the new bottles of hand sanitizer, hidden behind a set of curtains.
“This is a superior product to products now on the market”: Gov. Cuomo announces new state-made hand sanitizer https://t.co/XFEOh6t5Uypic.twitter.com/HrPyErPHsT
— CBS News (@CBSNews) March 9, 2020
On Saturday, he declared a state of emergency for New York in order to expedite funding, the allocation of health care professionals and resources, and testing for the virus.
As of Monday, the state had reported 142 confirmed cases of it. The executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Rick Cotton, is among those newly testing positive for COVID-19, Cuomo announced.
Some schools in the state have closed and some colleges have canceled classes, including New York City’s Columbia University.
This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
