Melbourne: Cricket legend Shane Warne's distillery has started  manufacturing hand sanitiser instead of gin to make up for the shortage of the alcohol-based solution and "save lives" from the clutches of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Instead of making alcohol, Warne's company, 'SevenZeroEight Gin', has started producing "medical grade 70 % alcohol" hand sanitiser on March 17 for two Western Australian hospitals.

"This is a challenging time for Australians and we all need to do what we can to help our healthcare system combat this disease and save lives," said Warne in a statement. "I am happy SevenZeroEight has the ability to make this shift and encourage others to do the same."

Australia has so far reported 565 confirmed cases besides six deaths. The rising cases has led to panic buying in some parts of Australia with hand sanitisers being the most in demand.