A quarantined woman has been trapped in her apartment with the body of her dead husband for two days in north-west Italy, as the country’s 60 million citizens remain in lockdown.

The mayor of Borghetto Santo Spirito, a seaside town about 70km southwest of Genoa, confirmed the woman’s plight, after a local TV station reported that her neighbours saw her crying on her balcony.

The husband, who had tested positive for coronavirus, died on Monday morning local time.

“Yes, it is true she is still there with the body and we won’t be able to remove it until Wednesday morning,“ mayor Giancarlo Canepa told CNN, explaining that quarantine protocol dictates that no one is allowed to approach the body.

“Unfortunately, we have a security protocol we must follow,” he said.

A woman has been trapped in her apartment with the body of her dead husband in north west Italy. File image Credit: Getty

The report came a day after Naples man Luca Franzese made an impassioned plea in a Facebook video for someone to collect the body of his sister, who had died from coronavirus some 36 hours earlier.

It is believed Teresa Franzese was the first infected person to die at home in Italy, and health authorities are struggling over how to safely remove bodies in this situation.

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Canepa said the man who died had refused to be taken to the local hospital for treatment after being diagnosed with COVID-19.

A local television station, IVG.IT, posted video interviews with the woman’s neighbours who spoke of her anguish and despair.

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“Right now the most important thing is to think about this lady, alone with the body of her husband,” one neighbour told IVG.IT.

“No one can come close to help her nor comfort her.

“Our thoughts are with her and on what she is living through.”

What is the coronavirus?

Coronaviruses are a group of viruses that can cause a range of symptoms including a runny nose, cough, sore throat and fever. Some are mild, such as the common cold, while others are more likely to lead to pneumonia.

The latest strain was discovered in the Chinese province of Wuhan.

How do you get coronavirus?

China says the virus is mutating and can be transmitted through human contact.

It’s primarily spread through a sick person coughing or sneezing on someone but a person could also become infected through contact with the virus particles on a surface, NSW Health warns.

What are coronavirus symptoms?

Symptoms include fever, cough and difficulty breathing. Most of those affected are older people and those with underlying health conditions.

How dangerous is the coronavirus?

The virus has caused alarm because it is still too early to know how dangerous it is and how easily it spreads between people.

How do you treat coronavirus?

As it stands, there is no vaccine for the virus and because it is new, humans have not been able to build immunity to it.

A group of Melbourne researchers has been tasked with finding a vaccine, while China is testing the HIV drug Aluvia as a treatment.

How do I protect myself from coronavirus?

WHO’s standard recommendations: