A nursing home in north Italy has created a "stanza degli abbracci," or Hug Room, to allow its elderly residents to hug their loved ones without risk of covid-19 contagion. The Domenico Sartor home, at Castelfranco Veneto near Venice, has installed a special anti-contagion curtain, made of soft transparent plastic, making an all-important embrace possible during a difficult and often lonely time.

Management at the facility say that physical contact with family members helps its residents enjoy greater mental and emotional well-being, which in turn helps them to cope with the situation better. Relatives are admitted to the isolated room after undergoing strict health and safety protocols, before being allowed to make physical contact through the see-through curtain and talk face-to-face with their elderly loved ones.