Soccer-Serie A prepares to resume under COVID-19 cloud

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Serie A - Bologna v Juventus - Stadio Renato Dall'Ara, Bologna, Italy - December 18, 2021 General view of fog on the pitch before the match REUTERS/Jennifer Lorenzini

(Reuters) - Having previously been largely unaffected by the latest strain of COVID-19, Italy's Serie A prepares to return from its winter break on Thursday with cases on the rise.

There is a full round of fixtures set to be played on Thursday - Italy's traditional Epiphany public holiday - with 19 of the 20 clubs involved all having at least one COVID-19 case to contend with.