Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte on Monday put the whole country on lockdown and banned gatherings, including Serie A football matches, in a bid to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus.

The lockdown had previously just been implemented in the worst-hit northern regions, but as of Tuesday it will come into force across the whole country, the most affected in Europe, Conte said.

Italian PM Giuseppe Conte announced that all sporting events, including the top-flight Serie A football championship, will be suspended because of the coronavirus crisis.

"There is no reason why matches and sporting events should continue and I am thinking of the football championship," Conte told a press conference in Rome.