DDL among regional distillers to join COVID-19 fight

As the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic continues, rum producers in the Caribbean Community (Cariom) have modified their production lines to play their part by producing alcohol and hand sanitizer, and making donations of sanitation products.

The companies, among which is Guyana’s own Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL), have made contributions to governments, institutions, and frontline healthcare workers, and to support local communities impacted by the virus across the region.
DDL has donated approximately 12,000 litres of Environ, an alcohol-based sanitising cleaner, to institutions around Guyana, such as senior citizens’ homes, orphanages, night shelters, and prisons.

In addition, 254 five-gallon bottles of Environ were given to the Health Emergency Operation Centre (HEOC) for distribution to public agencies such as health centres, public hospitals, post offices and Police stations.
The alcohol-based sanitizing cleaner contains 70 per cent alcohol. The company started production of Environ last month in response to the novel coronavirus outbreak in Guyana on March 11.
In addition to these donations, DDL is also supporting the efforts of its own team, sending each of its 1000-plus staff members home with one bottle of the product.
Meanwhile, similar initiatives were undertaking by Angostura in Trinidad & Tobago; Antigua Distillery in Antigua & Barbuda; Grenada Distillers and Westerhall Estate Ltd. in Grenada; National Rums of Jamaica and J. Wray and Nephew in Jamaica; Mount Gay Distilleries and West Indies Rum Distillery in Barbados; Ron Barceló and Casa Brugal in the Dominican Republic; St. Lucia Distillers; St. Vincent Distillers Ltd.; Suriname Alcoholic Beverages N.V., and Travellers Liquors in Belize.
Together, these regional rum producers have manufactured more than 500,000 litres of alcohol-based products, both sanitizers and cleaners, for distribution and donation in their respective countries.
Chairman of West Indies Rum & Spirits Producers Association (WIRSPA), Komal Samaroo, has said the initiatives undertaken by these companies will continue as the region continues to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, which has been devastating the global economy and many countries around the world, including in the Caribbean.
“These contributions are just an early snapshot of our engagement to date, with many producers committed to further steps in the days ahead. We are encouraging everyone to monitor their physical and mental health during this pandemic. We are also encouraging consumers that if they choose to drink, to do so responsibly and be careful not to use alcohol as a coping mechanism for stress and anxiety, especially while in isolation,” Samaroo, who is also the Chairman of DDL, posited.