Embarrassing Bodies’ Dr Christian Jessen claims Italians are using coronavirus as ‘an excuse to siesta’

Coronavirus: The symptoms
The Embarrassing Bodies star made a series of controversial remarks
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Embarrassing Bodies star Dr Christian Jessen has said that Italy’s coronavirus lockdown is “an excuse” to “stop work” and “have a long siesta” in a series of controversial remarks.

Jessen, 43, told FUBAR Radio’s Access All Areas that he believed the virus to be “like a bad cold really” and claimed that people are “more worried than we need to be.”

“This might be a little bit racist to say this, but you’ll have to make apologies, but do you not think it’s a bit of an excuse?” he said.

“The Italians, any old excuse to, you know, shut down everything and stop work for a bit and have a long siesta.”

Italy: Coronavirus - In pictures

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Earlier this week, Italy extended its coronavirus lockdown measures to the entire country, panning public gatherings and restricting movement across all regions.

The country has become the epicentre of the outbreak in Europe, with the death toll rising to above 1,000 yesterday.

Jessen said that he agreed with Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s decision to keep schools open and claimed that the illness, which has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation, is “lived out more in the press than in reality.”

He added: “Now I might have to eat my words and I really hope I don’t!”

Standard Online has contacted Jessen's representatives for further comment.

On Thursday, the government moved to the “delay” stage of the fight against Covid-19 following a Cobra meeting chaired by the Prime Minister, who described coronavirus as the “worst public health crisis for a generation.”

Warning families that they will “lose loved ones before their time,” Johnson said that measures will cause “severe disruption across our country for many months.”

Anyone experiencing mild symptoms such as a mild persistent cough or temperature of 37.8 degrees C or more is advised to isolate themselves at home for seven days.

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