‘My husband caught COVID-19’: Kate Langbroek shares a frightening update from lockdown in Italy – as she’s trolled for her ‘great decision’ to move to Europe before the pandemic
Kate Langbroek has revealed that a second person in her ‘immediate circle’ has been diagnosed with coronavirus in the Italian city of Bologna, where she has been living with her family since early 2019.
The Australian radio presenter, 54, is now in day 16 of lockdown with her husband, Peter Allen Lewis, and their four children, Lewis, Sunday, Artie and Jan.
She told her Instagram followers on Wednesday that the father of one of her children’s friends had tested positive for COVID-19.
Closing in: Kate Langbroek has revealed that a second person in her ‘immediate circle’ has been diagnosed with coronavirus in the Italian city of Bologna, where she has been living with her family since early 2019. Pictured with her husband, Peter Allen Lewis
Fortunately, schools have been closed in Italy for some time, which means Kate’s family won’t have been exposed to the virus from this person.
Kate shared a text message she had received from the wife of the infected man, which read: ‘Hallo to everyone. My son has already told his friends that my husband has caught Covid. He is at the hospital but his is doing fine.
‘I just wanted to share the news with you all personally.’
Kate explained this was the second case of COVID-19 in her ‘immediate circle’, after her yoga instructor was hospitalised with the virus.
It comes after she hit back at an Internet troll who mocked her for moving to Italy with her family before the coronavirus pandemic.
The troll wrote: ‘GREAT DECISION TO GO TO ITALY! I WONDER WHO DROVE THAT DECISION! #KARMA LOL.
‘Let’s spend 12 months in ITALY, that’s a great idea for a lifestyle change. How’s that working for you? In hindsight? Lol.’
Kate, who moved to Italy a full year before before COVID-19 arrived in Europe, replied: ‘Are you insane? Or just nasty?’
Kate lives in Bologna, in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy, which has become a ghost city amid the global health crisis.
She has documented her experience on Instagram, sharing confronting photos of abandoned streets and empty churches, as well as describing some of the restrictions being enforced in public spaces.
Meanwhile, she has been home schooling her children in recent weeks due to the nationwide closure of education facilities.
The family relocated to Italy in January 2019 for what was supposed to be a ‘gap year’ but they have since extended their stay for another 12 months.
Italy has now overtaken China as the country with the most coronavirus deaths after suffering 427 more fatalities, taking the total number to 3,405.
The country is in the middle of an unprecedented national lockdown that will be extended beyond the April 3 deadline, according to Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte.
COVID-19 was first identified in Wuhan, China, in December and has since spread to more than 200,000 people worldwide, and killed over 9,000.
It was recognised as a pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11.