Italy is recording about 15,000 new coronavirus cases per day, with the trend steadily rising and government advisors warning the health system is coming under growing strain.

A tiered colour-coded system - white, yellow, orange and red - which allows for measures to be calibrated according to infection levels in Italy's 20 regions will remain in force, with assessments revised every week.

Under the decree signed by Prime Minister Mario Draghi and effective from March 6, primary school classes in red zones - those with the toughest restrictions - will from now on be held online.

Distance learning was already mandatory for high school students in these areas.

"The English variant which is prevalent is particularly able to penetrate among the youngest age groups," Health Minister Roberto Speranza told reporters at a news conference to outline the measures.

The new rules will be valid until April 6.

Draghi, who took office last month, was not present at the news conference, a break with the communications policy of his predecessor Giuseppe Conte, who always explained new government curbs in person.

Two southern regions, Basilicata and Molise, are currently red zones, meaning restaurants, bars and most shops are closed and people are allowed to leave their homes only for work, health or emergency reasons.

Nine regions are classified as orange, eight as yellow and one, the island of Sardinia, as white, with only minimal restrictions.

Italy's official COVID-19 death toll stands at 98,288 - the second highest in Europe after the UK and seventh highest worldwide - with several hundreds of fatalities still recorded every day.

A ban on non-essential travel between the regions had already been extended until March 27.

The government offered some hope for lockdown-weary Italians, decreeing that cinemas and theatres will be able to reopen from the end of March in low-risk yellow zones.

Australian Associated Press