Story By: Ana Lacasa, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Newsflash

A 68-year-old deacon and father of 10 children has become the first doctor to die of COVID-19 in the Italian province of Rimini.

Maurizio Bertaccini was a well known deacon in the religious community of Montetauro in the commune of Coriano in the north-eastern Italian region of Rimini who also worked as a doctor in the area.

He displayed symptoms of the virus on 18th March and was hospitalised on the 24th, according to reports.

Local media said the deacon required tracheal intubation three days later and his condition worsened over the weekend.

Bertaccini died on 14th April aged 68.

According to reports, Bertaccini was ordained a deacon by Bishop Mariano de Nicolo and he served the Santa Innocenza di Montetauro di Coriano Church and the community of Piccola Famiglia dell’Assunta of Montetauro, where his eldest daughter became a nun in 2012.

Local media said that he was married with 10 children, six were fathered by him and four were adopted.

Bertaccini was also the first doctor to die of COVID-19 in the province of Rimini, according to reports.

Vicar Maurizio Fabbri said that the death of the deacon, whose funeral has reportedly taken place, “was very painful for the community”.

Maria, his wife of 41 years, told local media: “I would have wanted to hug him so many times and now, it is not possible anymore, but I do know that he is in the sky and that he will be always with me”.

Francesco Lambiasi, the bishop of Rimini, described him to local media as an example of “generosity and kindness”.

According to the latest figures from the Johns Hopkins University, Italy has registered 168,941 cases of COVID-19 and 22,170 related deaths.

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