Italy snow cannons used to disinfect villages

In the Italian Alps firefighters and sanitation workers have come up with a new solution to fight the spread of coronavirus - the use of snow cannons from the ski slopes to spray disinfectant around the local villages.

This week in Val Gardena, firefighters used their hoses to fill a giant tank with diluted hydrogen peroxide.

The tank was then attached to a snow cannon placed at the back of a large truck.

The truck drove through the towns of Santa Cristina and Selva di Val Gardena, disinfecting roads, walls, and buildings.

Snow cannons are usually used at ski resorts to supplement natural snow on the slopes to extend the ski season.

As the number of new coronavirus infections has begun to decline in Italy, the country is preparing for Phase 2 of the lockdown, when restrictive measures will be eased and people will, in stages, begin to return to normal activities.

In preparation, around the country, cities and town are sanitizing and developing plans for maintaining social distancing on public transport and in public buildings.

Italy is one of the worst-hit countries from the coronavirus pandemic, with almost 190,000 people infected and more than 25,000 fatalities, the highest death toll in Europe.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks.

But the virus is highly contagious and can be spread by those with mild or no visible symptoms.

For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and could lead to death.