A 'safe hug' amid COVID-19 pandemic
Many elderly people feel cut off from their loved ones due to strict safety protocol amid the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the residents at a nursing home in Italy's Castelfranco Veneto finally gave a hug to their loved ones as the care home set up a "hug room" for them to receive visitors safely. /Getty

Many elderly people feel cut off from their loved ones due to strict safety protocol amid the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the residents at a nursing home in Italy's Castelfranco Veneto finally gave a hug to their loved ones as the care home set up a "hug room" for them to receive visitors safely. /Getty

The "hug room" features transparent plastic curtains which allow relatives of residents to put their hands in. /Getty

The "hug room" features transparent plastic curtains which allow relatives of residents to put their hands in. /Getty

Masked visitors also have to pass strict hygiene before entering the isolated room and follow safety protocols. /Getty

Masked visitors also have to pass strict hygiene before entering the isolated room and follow safety protocols. /Getty

One resident said: "After weeks of video calls, it seemed like a mirage. It was a contact that I had been missing for too long." /Getty

One resident said: "After weeks of video calls, it seemed like a mirage. It was a contact that I had been missing for too long." /Getty