Italian authorities are using snow cannons to disinfect entire towns in the Alps region of Italy ahead of the relaxation of lockdown measures.

Mounted on trucks, the snow cannons - usually used to cover ski slopes with snow - are blasting tons of disinfectant - diluted hydrogen peroxide - on roads, walls and buildings in the town of Val Gardena.

Italy currently has Europe’s highest death toll from COVID-19, and is behind only the US in global terms.

But the country is getting ready for the second phase of its lockdown, under which people will be allowed to slowly return to a “new normal”.

Italy has had around 190,000 confirmed coronavirus cases since the outbreak began, and more than 25,500 deaths.