Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi has tested positive for coronavirus, his staff and doctor confirmed on Wednesday, September 2, according to Euronews.

In a statement, officials from his political party, Forza Italia said that 83-year-old Berlusconi, a media tycoon and former political heavyweight, was now in isolation at his home in Arcore near Milan.

His personal doctor, Alberto Zangrillo, also confirmed that the politician was "asymptomatic".

Staff added that the former premier and current president of Forza Italia would be working from home during quarantine, and would continue to contribute to the campaigns of local candidates of his party in local elections scheduled for this month.

Berlusconi had recently returned from a holiday in Sardinia which saw a spike in Covid-19 cases in August.

Italy, which was the first European country to impose lockdown restrictions, was one of the worst-hit countries on the continent with 272,000 positive cases of coronavirus recorded and more than 35,000 deaths.