Italy’s former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, aged 83, is in hospital with early-stage double pneumonia after testing positive for coronavirus, Italian media report.
He spent the night in hospital in Milan for checks, having tested positive on Wednesday.
Earlier his right-wing Forza Italia party said his condition was not a cause for concern, and “he is fine”.
The media tycoon’s partner and two of his children also tested positive.
Berlusconi has been in self-isolation with his 30-year-old partner, the Forza Italia MP Marta Fascina, at his villa in Arcore near Milan, after holidaying in Sardinia. The infection rate in Sardinia – famous for its Emerald Coast beaches – is higher than in much of Italy.
“A small precautionary hospitalisation was needed to monitor the progress of Covid-19 but he is fine,” said Forza Italia senator Licia Ronzulli.
Berlusconi was transferred to an isolation ward at San Raffaele Hospital on Thursday night. Double pneumonia – inflammation of both lungs – is a common complication with Covid patients. The disease is generally more severe among the elderly and those with other medical conditions.
