Albany, N.Y. - New York State officials will soon be providing towns with hand sanitizer, as the product's price soars on the private market amid coronavirus concerns.
Named NYS Clean, it's produced by Corcraft in Great Neck, on Long Island, which employs prisoners within the correctional system. Cuomo says the product actually has an even higher alcohol-percentage than many similar products being sold to consumers, noting it also has a pleasant scent.
Sales of hand sanitizer are up, way up. The most recent numbers show that U.S. sales jumped more than 300 percent between February 22nd and 29th, as coronavirus spread. It's led to price gouging, with 12-ounce bottles that typically sell for under five-dollars going for as much as 50-dollars online. Cuomo says that any drug stores and online retailers caught price-gouging will be prosecuted.
Medical professionals say the best way to protect yourself against the spread of COVID-19 is by regularly washing your hands or using alcohol-based hand sanitizer, while avoiding contact with your eyes, nose and mouth. Senior citizens and people with compromised immune systems are being advised to take precautions, and even avoid large gatherings.