Italian ministers have decided to keep nationwide restrictions in place this weekend to slow coronavirus infections, but agreed to relax curbs on weekdays.

Italians spent much of Christmas and New Year at home, with people allowed to leave their houses only for work, health and emergencies, or for brief trips to see a limited number of friends or relatives.

These rules are set to expire on Thursday and ministers have agreed to return to the old, three-tier system, which allows for different measures to be applied to different regions, according to a report by Reuters.

But all bars and restaurants across the country will have to close this weekend, with travel between towns and cities kept to a minimum.