Italy’s essential workers ‘living in fear’ over critical lack of PPE

‘No separation was created between clean and dirty areas inside the hospital, meaning protective robes are just piled up in a corner,’ nurse tells Federica Marsi

A nurse puts on protective equipment in a new hospital near Alba (AFP/Getty)

Every day, in the eerie stillness of Italy’s nationwide lockdown, workers who are deemed essential reach their workplaces to restock toilet paper, manufacture food cans or feed patients ailing from the coronavirus.

Many operate in relative safety, wearing filtered face masks tight enough to form a strong seal, or stand behind plastic barriers that block germs propelled by a sudden cough.

But others among the often low-wage workers manning the front lines are living in fear.