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This Morning guest reveals the reality of living in Italy’s coronavirus lockdown
13 March 2020, 10:58 | Updated: 17 March 2020, 16:42
A woman appeared on This Morning from Italy to warn Brits about coronavirus.
As the Coronavirus outbreak continues to spread, one woman in Italy has revealed what it’s like living in ‘total lockdown’.
The CORID-19, has claimed more than 1,000 lives in Italy, with the government being forced to limit movement to urgent medical or professional need.
All shops are now closed, except for pharmacies and those stocking food, while theatres, schools, hairdressers and museums are also shut.
Appearing on This Morning, Elaine Dent spoke to presenters Eamonn Holmes and Rochelle Humes about how communities are coping during the pandemic.
Speaking from a village outside of Rome, she explained that nobody is allowed to leave their own borough without a certificate stating where they are going.
“There are road blocks everywhere and the police stop you because they want to know where you’re going, and you have to show them a certificate.”
She added: “They can check up on you and if you’re not telling the truth, it’s up to three months imprisonment.”
Elaine - who is originally from North Hampton - went on to reveal that only one person per household is allowed to leave at one time to go to the local shop for food.
“My husband will go out one day, and I will go the next to get food from the local shop.
“Sometimes you have to stand outside and keep more than one and a half metres away from anyone else. Only a few people are allowed in the shop at once, it’s very well organised.”
The This Morning guest added it's like a "two or three week break in the country" without traffic or crowds.
And while she insisted “people shouldn’t panic”, Elaine urged the Government in the UK to take similar measures to Italy if they want to tackle the coronavirus.
Elaine added: “I think we need to self isolate, it’s the only way, it’s a small sacrifice for two or three weeks to stay at home to save lives.”
This comes after the UK moved from "containing" the coronavirus to "delaying" it yesterday, after the death toll reached 10.
There have been 596 confirmed cases across the country, but health officials have said they believe the actual number of people infected could be between 5,000 and 10,000.
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