Silvio Berlusconi tests positive for Coronavirus

ROME – Ex-four time Prime Minister of Italy and leader of party Forza Italia, Silvio Berlusconi, 84, has tested positive for Covid-19 after both his daughter and son contracted the virus, as confirmed by Berlusconi in a party event on Zoom.

 Berlusconi, who is asympotmatic, took two tests for Coronavirus around Aug. 20 after his daughter, Barbara, 36, and son, Luigi, 32, had tested positive. The result of both tests at that point were negative but on Monday, as a final precaution the Forza Italia leader was tested once more and this time came back positive. The family are now in self-isolation and a wide circle of those who have been in contact with them are isolating voluntarily, including his staff and members of his party Anna Maria Bernini and Maria Stella Gelmini. In a statement Berlusconi wrote, "Unfortunately this also has happened to me, but I continue the battle."

 The media tycoon and politician had spent his Ferragosto holidays in the popular Costa Smeralda region of Sardinia where numerous outbreaks have occurred over the past few weeks. Notably, Berlusconi was photographed with Formula 1 businessman and nightclub owner, Flavio Briatore, who testing positive himself, was caught up in a scandal involving over 60 cases of the virus amongst the staff at his luxury nightclub Billionaire.

 After his children discovered they had Coronavirus, Berlusconi left Sardinia and took refuge in his villa in Arcore, Brianza. However, once he had received two negative tests Berlusconi travelled to France where, upon his return, he took the final positive test. According to reports in Il fatto quotidiano, Berlusconi’s eldest daughter, Marina, had put in place rigorous security measures to prevent her octogenarian father from contracting the virus and Berlusconi himself had criticised his two younger children for their overzealous behaviour with others that risked their contracting Coronavirus. Berlusconi was send to Provenza during the months of lockdown by daughter Marina to try and avoid the virus.

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