Coronavirus: Italian town with no infections uses hay bales to stop people using roads

Mayor says they did not have enough barriers

A southern Italian town has used hay bales to block roads leading into the community during the coronavirus crisis – while having no confirmed cases.

The mayor said every route except one has been closed off in a bid to protect residents during the pandemic.

“This means there is only one way of entering Monteleone,” the mayor said in a Facebook video, adding it was easier to control comings-and-goings this way.

Giovanni Campese said on Tuesday the town in Apulia had not recorded any infections, and had around five or six people in quarantine after returning from at-risk zones.

Videos show hay bales being driven around town and being dropped in the middle of streets.

“We did not have enough barriers to close roads,” Mr Campese told Italian TV. “We arranged to use something we have a lot of instead”

Italy has been on lockdown since 10 March as it battles the coronavirus outbreak, which has seen more than 74,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the country to date.

People have been ordered to stay at home except in certain cases where they are allowed to go outside, for example to go to work or buy food.

A mayor in Sicily has announced plans to use drones to enforce these rules, as Spain and China did during their lockdowns over the virus.

Around 110,000 people have been charged with ignoring the government’s restrictions, according to interior ministry figures.

Italy announced it was tightening up its sanctions for those who break the rules aimed at tackling the spread of Covid-19 – a flu-like virus that can develop into pneumonia – earlier this week, increasing the fine to a maximum of €3000 (£2,700).

Italy has seen the largest coronavirus death toll in the world, standing at around 7,500 on Thursday.

Additional reporting by Reuters