Coronavirus: Spanish Army Finds Bodies Of Old People Left To Rot In Retirement Homes

In another display of the horrifying face of the coronavirus pandemic, soldiers in Spain found elderly patients in retirement homes abandoned and, in some cases, dead in their beds. Spanish soldiers have been deployed to combat the spread of Covid-19 in the country. During their sweep, they found elderly patients in retirement homes abandoned and, in some cases, dead in their beds, the BBC reported quoting the defence ministry. An investigation had been launched in the entire incident.

According to the BBC report, the government in Spain has been brought in the military to help disinfect care homes in the country. Spain is one of the worst hit countries in Europe with the total death count reaching 2,182 so far.

The defence ministry has said that staff at some care or retirement homes had left after the coronavirus was detected. While usually the bodies of deceased residents are put in cold storage until they are collected by the funeral services, they were left in their beds if death is suspected to be linked to coronavirus. These bodies are later collected by properly equipped funeral staff, but these collections have been hit by sudden rise in coronavirus fatalities.

ALSO READ: China To Lift Lockdown Over Coronavirus Epicentres Hubei Province, Wuhan

According to the BBC report, capital Madrid will now used a major ice rink called the Palacio de Hielo (Ice Palace) as a temporary mortuary where bodies will be stored until funeral homes can collect them.