Italy coronavirus update: Covid cases increase with more travellers

The number of people found positive for coronavirus continued to rise for the sixth straight week in Italy, mostly driven by people returning from holidays as Italy increases its testing capacity.

Another 1,616 people tested positive in the last 24 hours, according to Health Ministry statistics released Friday, as Italy carried out 99,000 more nasal tests.

Authorities have emphasized that many of the new cases do not represent people who are suffering symptoms but who have been identified by contact tracing.

At the same time, the average age of those testing positive is on the rise, with nearly one-third over 50.

The focus on tracing new cases comes as Italy prepares to open schools on Monday for the first time since last winter, and as Italy considers reducing quarantine for anyone who had contact with someone testing positive from 14 days to 10 days.

Italy has totaled 284,796 people testing positive for the virus during the pandemic, with 35,597 dead 10 of those in the last 24 hours.