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LETA learned from Latvijas Balzams that the company will start production of hand sanitizer based on the recipe recommended by the World Health Organization.

"Latvijas Balzams will initially produce the hand sanitizer in four-liter packaging that can later be poured in packages that are easier for use. Even though it will have high volume of alcohol, it will not be edible, and will be in the form of a gel. We will soon make it available for the large retail chains and will try to produce sufficient amounts also for hospitals and other institutions, where disinfection of hands is essential," the company reported.

Balticovo said that the company is producing three tons of hand sanitizer for its own needs to protect the poultry from bird flu and other biological risks.

"Last year Latvian company ECO Forte installed a specialized system that is used to produce efficient and certified sanitizer - hypochlorous acid. It is harmless for people, but very efficient in disinfection," said the company's board member Toms Auskaps.

He said that considering the low availability of hand sanitizers in the country, the company has decided to donate one ton of the disinfectant daily, distributing it to medical institutions, social services, police, rescuers, educational institutions.

The Latvian Employers Confederation also called on its members who produce hand sanitizers to be responsive and help to supply them to those institutions that need them most.