Many of airsofters are also into the figure painting such as plastic model kits and 1/6 models as well as miniature wargaming, especially Warhammer. As part of finishing their kits and models, they also procure paints made for such. Known paint providers are The Army Painter and Citadel Colours. With the ongoing pandemic, there is a demand for their products given that modelers have more time with their hobby. But according to Gizmodo, they are putting more attention to an urgent need --- hand sanitisers.

Whilst soap and water are the best option for ensuring clean hands, hand sanitisers, whether alchohol gels or alcohol sprays, are the next best thing when washing facilities are not available. Shelves of grocery stores around the world are empty of hand sanitisers due to great demand. Even rationing the purchase of hand sanitisers still won’t help in meeting the demand of consumers. Moreso, hospitals and other frontline organisations needed huge quantities of sanitisers as they need to make hands clean at all times to attend to Covid-19 cases as well as prevent them from infecting themselves and those around them.

Citadel Colours as announced by the Warhammer community on Twitter at the end of the March, that they are producing hand sanitisers for the NHS of the United Kingdom. Games Workshop, which provides tabletop Warhammer games, shutdown its operations due to the lockdown imposed by the British government, Citadel Colours is able to devote its production to hand sanitisers to answer the need of the health care system.

Denmark-based The Army Painter also followed suit, founded by avid miniature wargamers who decided to go on producing paint for the hobby. On Facebook, they announced that they decided to use their facilities to produce hand sanitisers, with plans to supply schools at no cost s they will be first reopened as announced by the Danish government as they start to ease the lockdown restrictions. From there, they will also supply internationally through their established distribution network and ensuring that the hand sanitisers they are producing are affordable.

From eye protection to protective gowns, to hand sanitisers, we see many companies taking up the cudgels and doing their part in the fight against the coronavirus. Whilst we are hearing good news that some countries are now starting to flatten the curve, it is not yet time to celebrate. Amidst warnings that lifting restrictions are maybe premature and might worsen situation, some countries are slowly doing it so they can quickly fallback to the established lockdown if cases increase.

The miniature wargaming and figure painting communities might not have new supplies coming, pretty sure they will be understanding. Their suppliers are fulfilling something really urgent and needed by the frontliners.