- Title: First coronavirus cases placed on ship, volunteers organise to take care of poor
- Date: 24th March 2020
- Summary: ROME, ITALY (MARCH 23, 2020) (REUTERS) VOLUNTEERS PREPARING BAGS OF FOOD PRIEST, FATHER CIRO WEARING MASK, SPEAKING TO MASKED VOLUNTEERS AND MASKED PEOPLE WAITING FOR FOOD HANDOUT BOX OF FOOD SUPPLIES BAGS AND BOXES PREPARED WITH FOOD HANDOUTS VOLUNTEERS HANDING OUT FOOD (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) PRIEST FATHER CIRO SAYING: "In a situation of crisis like this that we are all living in, the poor are those that suffer the most. There are queues at the supermarket but there are also people who are unable to get to the supermarket. So this is a gift from God and other people can be helped and receive items they need to keep going." VARIOUS OF ITEMS IN BOXES/VOLUNTEERS
- Embargoed: 7th April 2020 11:06
- Keywords: Coronavirus cases Splendid passenger ship lockdown volunteer groups
- Location: GENOA AND ROME, ITALY
- City: GENOA AND ROME, ITALY
- Country: Italy
- Topics: Health/Medicine
- Reuters ID: LVA002C6EW7K7
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The first coronavirus patients were taken on board the passenger ship 'Splendid' on Monday (March 23) which has been turned into a floating hospital in the Italian port of Genoa.
Overwhelmed hospitals have run out of space to treat patients as Italy struggles to cope with a growing number of people testing positive for the virus.
Two patients were seen getting out of ambulances that had driven into the hold of the ship. They walked unaided towards the hospital rooms that have been organised onboard.
The rooms each have a hospital bed and ensuite bathroom with medical staff working around the clock.
The total number of confirmed cases in Italy rose to 63,927 on Monday from a previous 59,138, an increase of 8%, the Civil Protection Agency said -- the lowest rise in percentage terms since the contagion came to light on Feb. 21.
But the now two week lockdown has brought many difficulties to the community, particularly those most disadvantaged.
At Rome's Sant'Egidio charity, volunteers pack boxes of food supplies for the elderly and poor.
"In a situation of crisis like this that we are all living in, the poor are those that suffer the most," said priest Father Ciro.
"There are queues at the supermarket but there are also people who are unable to get to the supermarket. So this is a gift from God and other people can be helped and receive items they need to keep going," he said.
(Production: Yara Nardi, Gabriele Pileri, Eleanor Biles) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2020. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None