Widow is trapped in her home with her husband’s corpse for two days after they were quarantined over his coronavirus diagnosis in Italy
- Woman from Borghetto Santo Spirito in northwest Italy was ‘seen crying for help’
- Her husband died at around 2am on Monday after testing positive for COVID-19
- She was unable to leave her apartment until body collected 48 hours after death
A widow has been stuck in her home for two days with her husband’s corpse after the pair were quarantined over his coronavirus diagnosis in Italy.
The woman, from Borghetto Santo Spirito in northwest Italy, was reportedly seen crying for help from her balcony after her husband died at around 2am on Monday.
The body of the man, who tested positive for coronavirus, is understood to have been left inside the apartment until it could be removed 48 hours after his death.
Italy has confirmed more than 10,000 cases of the virus, with 631 deaths reported across the nation as a result of COVID-19.
An employee of municipal company Veritas sprays disinfectant in one of the usually heaving alleyways in Venice today
His widow has not been able to leave her home due to ‘quarantine restrictions’ as protocol dictates no one is allowed to approach the body, mayor Giancarlo Canepa told CNN.
‘Yes, it is true she is still there with the body and we won’t be able to remove it until Wednesday morning,’ he added on Tuesday. ‘Unfortunately, we have a security protocol we must follow.’
Mr Canepa added that the man had refused to be taken to hospital after he tested positive for COVID-19 ‘otherwise this wouldn’t have happened.’
A neighbour told IVG.IT that the widow had been seen crying for help from her balcony after the death of her husband.
A widow was trapped in her home in Borghetto Santo Spirito (pictured) for two days with her husband’s corpse after the pair were quarantined over his coronavirus diagnosis in Italy
‘Right now the most important thing is to think about this lady, alone with the body of her husband,’ they said.
‘No one can come close to help her nor comfort her. We hope this is quickly resolved. Our thoughts are with her and on what she is living through.’
It comes amid warnings that Italy’s unprecedented nationwide lockdown could be tightened even further, with calls for public transport to be shut down entirely in the hard-hit region of Lombardy.
Italian prime minister Giuseppe Conte today refused to rule out even tougher quarantine measures after the death toll surged to 631 on the first day of the lockdown yesterday, with more than 10,000 cases now confirmed.
Tourists wear face masks at the Piazza Di Spagna after the Italian government imposed national restrictions to control the spread of coronavirus
The Trevi Fountain in Rome, an area often overflowing with tourists, has been deserted since the quarantine began
Conte also promised today that Italy would ramp up spending to help the Italian economy withstand the crisis, saying that 25billion euros (£22billion) had been put aside.
Last week the cabinet said it would need just £6.6billion, but the crisis has escalated dramatically since then and the nationwide lockdown has frozen the country’s economy.
Italy’s valuable tourism sector has also been hit, with many countries and airlines now blocking flights to Italy to stop the spread of the virus.
Landmarks including the Colosseum and the Leaning Tower of Pisa have been shut down while Milan’s famous shopping galleries are all but deserted.