Boy, six, guards his grandfather’s corpse at their home alone in Hubei during coronavirus lockdown

Boy, six, guards his grandfather’s corpse at their Hubei home alone after watching the bed-bound pensioner die during coronavirus lockdown

  • The man was found dead on Monday by community workers in Shiyan, Hebei
  • His grandson remained at home after the elderly man told him ‘not to go out’
  • Officials have denied allegations that the man had died several days earlier 
  • The city has been under lockdown for over a month to curb the virus outbreak
  • The coronavirus has killed at least 2,771 people and infected more than 81,400

The picture reportedly shows the boy wearing protective gears after the incident

A six-year-old boy has been guarding his grandfather’s dead body alone at home after watching the elderly man die during the coronavirus lockdown.

The pensioner, known by his surname Tan, was discovered dead on Monday by a group of local community volunteers in Shiyan, Hubei Province of central China.

The young child remained at home after the elderly man told him ‘not to go out’, according to Chinese media.

‘Grandpa said there is a virus outside,’ the boy reportedly told the volunteers when he opened the door for them.

The city has been under lockdown for over a month to curb the outbreak.

The Zhangwan district, where the boy and his grandfather live, has imposed self-isolation measures. No one is allowed to enter or leave their homes. 

Daily essentials including food and medicine for the residents have been delivered regularly by the community staff, according to a statement released by the city’s government.

The community workers were checking on the residents when they found the boy with the corpse of his deceased grandfather. 

One of the volunteers told Chinese outlet The Paper that the boy’s parents are migrant workers and his grandparents had been looking after him since he was very young.

The picture shows a medic working in a hospital in Wuhan, the epicentre of the coronavirus

The picture shows a medic working in a hospital in Wuhan, the epicentre of the coronavirus

Cities around China have imposed quarantine measures in an effort to curb the outbreak. Villagers are pictured wearing masks and guarding at a checkpoint in rural Beijing, China

Cities around China have imposed quarantine measures in an effort to curb the outbreak. Villagers are pictured wearing masks and guarding at a checkpoint in rural Beijing, China

‘His grandmother died six months ago. His grandfather had been ill and could barely take care of himself,’ the anonymous worker said.  

The boy has been staying with a volunteer after the incident because his father was unable to come home. 

Local officials have reportedly denied online rumours that the elder man had died several days earlier while the grandson had survived on biscuits. 

They told the press that it would be impossible because the community workers paid daily visits to their residents. 

They also claimed that the pensioner was not infected with the coronavirus. 

The local district announced in a statement on Monday that the cause and the time of Mr Tan’s death were under investigation.

A vehicle is pictured spraying disinfectant in the streets of Zhangjiakou city in Hebei, China

A vehicle is pictured spraying disinfectant in the streets of Zhangjiakou city in Hebei, China

The deadly disease has killed at least 2,771 people and infected more than 81,400 globally

The deadly disease has killed at least 2,771 people and infected more than 81,400 globally

The story has since sparked an outrage on Chinese social media.

‘A real-life tragedy,’ one comment read.

Another one wrote, ‘How can the parents not call them every day? So irresponsible!’

The WHO has claimed although the number of cases continues to rise, it is spiralling at a slower rate. The picture shows a migrant worker having his temperature taken in China

The WHO has claimed although the number of cases continues to rise, it is spiralling at a slower rate. The picture shows a migrant worker having his temperature taken in China

Cities across China have enforced quarantine measures in order to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus.

The deadly disease which spawned in Wuhan late last year, has killed at least 2,771 people and infected more than 81,400.

Dozens of countries are now battling outbreaks, with South Korea, Italy, Japan and Iran among the worst-affected.

City authorities around China have demanded citizens wear masks while out as a basic measure to prevent coronavirus. The picture shows people travelling on the train in Shanghai

City authorities around China have demanded citizens wear masks while out as a basic measure to prevent coronavirus. The picture shows people travelling on the train in Shanghai

People are pictured wearing protective masks walking through a market in Hong Kong

People are pictured wearing protective masks walking through a market in Hong Kong

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