Serie A matches without supporters over COVID-19 fears

ANKARA

Italy's Serie A matches will be played without fans attending the games as the deadly coronavirus outbreak hit the country.

All sports events can only be held closed to the fans in the country until April 3, according to the government's decree on Wednesday.

Instead of suspending the events amid the coronavirus outbreak, the Italian football federation decided that the matches will be played without fans.

Italian Cup semi-final matches, Juventus vs AC Milan, and Napoli vs Inter Milan, were already delayed due to the coronavirus fears in the country.

Italy has become the worst-hit country in Europe by the coronavirus outbreak, with the death toll in the country rising to 109 and 3,089 confirmed cases.

The new coronavirus known as COVID-19 emerged in Wuhan, China, last December and has now spread to over 80 countries.

The global death toll is over 3,200, with more than 95,000 confirmed cases, according to the WHO.

The WHO, which had declared the outbreak an international health emergency, recently updated the global risk level to “very high”.