Sporting events in Italy halted

ROME — Sports ground to a halt throughout Italy late Monday night when Premier Giuseppe Conte announced that games and travel will be banned nationwide.

“There’s no reason for the games to continue,” Conte said. “The fans will have to deal with it. We won’t even allow gyms to be used.”

A new government decree that will come into effect Tuesday and last until April 3 will stop games in Italy’s top soccer division and preparatory events for the Tokyo Olympics.

Events around the world have been affected by the spreading virus, including Champions League soccer matches and Japan’s professional baseball season. Late Sunday, one of the biggest tennis tournaments in the world was postponed.

Italy’s top soccer division had resumed on Sunday with five games played in empty stadiums. Twelve rounds remain, with eighttime defending champion Juventus holding a onepoint lead over Lazio.

Serie A has not been canceled since World War II.

Sassuolo’s 3-0 win over Brescia inside an empty stadium on Monday was almost certainly the last Serie A game for several weeks.

Anticipating the government’s decree, the Italian Olympic Committee said earlier that the decree will not include international competition “for clubs or national teams,” since it does not govern those. Juventus, Napoli and Atalanta are each competing in the Champions League, while Inter Milan and Roma are still in the Europa League.

But after Conte’s announcement, it seemed likely that games like Juventus-Lyon in the Champions League on March 17 would have to be postponed or moved to another country.

The Italian swimming federation said it was withdrawing its teams from international events and canceled an Olympic qualifying meet scheduled for next week in Riccione.