The number of Italian citizens who are being kept in quarantine in Malta has grown from 71 to at least 120, Italian media report.

About 50 of them are positive to Covid-19, tgcom24.mediaset.it reports, adding that very few of them are adults.

The rest are students who came to Malta to study English, Italian national broadcaster Rai said in its 8pm news bulletin.

The Italian embassy is in constant contact with the group, and helped in their transportation to the Corinthia Marina Hotel, which is being used to accommodate foreigners in quarantine.

Malta is experiencing a rise in the number of Covid-19 cases, which have shot up to more than 100 for the first time since March.

English language schools will be closed on Wednesday while all travellers need to be fully vaccinated to be allowed entry into Malta.

The report on tgcom.mediaset (in Italian) may be found here