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Army vehicles and military personnel have been brought in to help move dozens of coffins from Bergamo to other regions, according to Ansa news agency. A well-known wealthy city, Bergamo is just northeast of Milan in Italy’s Lombardy region.

It has recorded at least 93 coronavirus-related deaths as the number of cases continues to sky-rocket every day. The mayor of Bergamo, Giorgio Gori, said the true number of deaths attributable to COVID-19 could be much higher as many people with symptoms died before being tested. A spokesperson for the local authority said: "The crematorium of Bergamo, working at full capacity, 24 hours a day, can cremate 25 dead. "It is clear that it could not stand up to the numbers of the past few days."

The military have had to enter Bergamo in order to help dispose of the recently deceased

Italy has become the epicentre for the virus

The coffins will now be taken to other cities in the region. Crematoriums in Modena, Acquit Terme, Domodossola, Parma, Piacenza and several other cities are expected to take on the extra bodies. Once the bodies have been cremated they will be returned to their home city of Bergamo. On Monday, Reuters journalists said they witnessed two funerals hour, over a period of six hours. JUST IN: China announces coronavirus cases in Wuhan to cease by end of March

Nearly everything in Italy has been shut down and put in a so-called 'red zone'

The UK has since been warned to take the virus more seriously by citizens in Italy

Boris Johnson on Monday announced new stringent measures in an attempt to stifle the virus

But, they have only been able to visit in limited numbers and with the recommended amount of distance between each other to prevent the spread of the virus. Meanwhile, the local newspaper’s daily obituary section has increased from two or other pages to 10. Earlier this month, a doctor working in a Bergamo hospital warned that the "message of the danger of what is happening" was not reaching people. In a Facebook post, Dr Daniele Macchini said: "The situation is now nothing short of dramatic. No other words come to mind.

A live coronavirus map of the UK

"The war has literally exploded and the battles are uninterrupted day and night." Italy has become the worst-hit nation outside China, where the virus originated. It has led Europe to become the newest epicentre of the virus outbreak - with Lombardy, Italy, the most intensely affected region. Italy has been on lock down since 9 March last week, yet experts say the peak of the virus is yet to come, and won’t hit until mid-April.

In London 40 underground stations have been shut to prevent the virus' spread

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