The COVID-19 pandemic has crippled Italy and is ricocheting its way around the globe. But amid the fear and sickness, Italy's country-wide quarantine has had at least one uplifting consequence: Venice's usually dark, murky waterways have turned noticeably more clear.

"The water now looks clearer because there is less traffic on the canals, allowing the sediment to stay at the bottom," a spokesman the Venice mayor's office told CNN.

While the water quality is not improved, according to the spokesperson, the air quality likely is.

"The air, however, is less polluted since there are less vaporetti [canal boats] and boat traffic than usual because of the restricted movement of residents," he told CNN.

Take a look at the empty canals and the clear water.