Shops stripped bare in scenes reminiscent of ‘zombie apocalypse’ as coronavirus fears sweep Italy (VIDEOS)

Driven by fears of the rapidly-spreading coronavirus, Italians in the Lombardy region have begun stockpiling food and basic necessities, leaving shops in a post-apocalyptic-looking state.

Supermarket shelves were stripped in mere hours as stocks ran low and queues lengthened, as evidenced by eyewitness footage from Milan.

Some wistfully joked that it was almost pleasant to be living through what they dubbed a “zombie apocalypse.”

Schools and museums have been closed, events such as the Venice Carnival have been cancelled while Fashion designer Giorgio Armani reportedly held a closed-door event to conclude Milan Fashion Week on Sunday by streaming his latest collection from an empty theater.

Roughly a dozen northern Italian towns have been placed on lockdown as the total number of infected in Italy stands at over 150. Later on Sunday, officials closed theaters, cinemas and other public places like pubs and clubs for at least seven days, the majority of which are located in the densely populated region around Milan.

The coronavirus crisis in Italy has shocked Europeans, jumping from fewer than five known cases before Thursday to over 150 by the end of the weekend. 

The coronavirus has infected more than 78,000 worldwide and killed more than 2,400, many of whom died in China.

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