'More Burberry gowns to come': luxury brand turns effort to coronavirus fight

Reuters
·1 min read
Children's Burberry clothes are seen on display at the Nordstrom flagship store during a media preview in New York

LONDON (Reuters) - High-end British fashion brand Burberry <BRBY.L> has turned over its production to make protective gowns for healthcare workers tackling the coronavirus outbreak, health minister Matt Hancock said on Friday.

Burberry has said its sales in the final weeks of March would plunge by up to 80% as the impact of coronavirus already seen in China spread to Europe and the United States, causing stores to close and luxury shopping to dry up.

Asked during a news conference about supplies of personal protective equipment, something many healthcare workers have complained there is not enough of, Hancock said Burberry had turned over its production to make gowns.

"Burberry deserve credit for what they have done so far for the nation and hopefully lots more Burberry gowns to come," he said.

(Reporting by Kylie MacLellan; editing by Stephen Addison)