All Serie A soccer games suspended in response to Italy's coronavirus outbreak

Dan Bernstein

All Serie A soccer games suspended in response to Italy's coronavirus outbreak image

Italian prime minister Giuseppe Conte announced on Monday that Serie A is suspended indefinitely as the country continues to struggle to contain the spread of coronavirus.

Play has been halted until at least April 3, according to the Italian national Olympic committee, as the country comes to a standstill over the outbreak of a disease that has spread to at least 97 countries. Italy on Monday also banned public gatherings and unnecessarytravel for the entire nation.

In the final Serie A match before indefinite postponement, played Monday between Sassuolo and Brescia, Francesco Caputo used a goal celebration to urge Italians to stay inside.

MORE: Status of U.S. sporting events amid COVID-19 outbreak

Coronavirus began in Wuhan, China, and has since become a global public health crisis. It's sickened more than 100,000 people worldwide, stalled life in several continents and been responsible for plummeting economies.

Italy has so far been hit harder by coronavirus than any other European nation, but reported illnesses are also on the rise in nearby France and Germany.

The U.S. is experiencing an outbreak, too, and sporting events such as the NCAA Tournament could soon be forced to take precautionary measures.

Information from Goal.com was used in this article.

Dan Bernstein