While medics around the world strive to contain the ongoing global coronavirus pandemic, personnel at the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) found themselves facing a different kind of threat as an ordnance dating back to World War II was discovered at the premises, local newspaper General-Anzeiger reports.
According to the media outlet, the five-tonne aerial bomb was discovered on Wednesday, 1 April, during construction work.
"The bomb find was approximately in the middle of the grounds of the University Hospital," said Wolfgang Holzgreve, Medical Director of the UKB. "This is something that is really not needed in these times. But we are of course prepared for emergencies in times like these."
Having examined the bomb, the explosive ordnance disposal service experts reportedly deemed that it should be defused on site, which led to a partial evacuation of the hospital, with some 144 patients, some of whom are infected with the coronavirus, transferred to a safer location.
About 1,250 to 1,300 city residents are also to be evacuated, while residents of Venusberg were told to remain indoors while the ordnance is being defused, the newspaper adds.
The bomb defusing procedure was slated to take place in the afternoon on 2 April.
