Marco Alpozzi/Associated Press

The Italian government has officially suspended all sporting events across the country, including Serie A football matches, as the country's lockdown was extended nationwide on Monday.

Per the Guardian, all public events have been banned due to the COVID-19 virus, which has affected the country significantly.

Schools and universities had already been closed until at least April 3.

It's unclear at this stage what will happen to the international fixtures scheduled to take place in the coming weeks. Defending Serie A champions Juventus are scheduled to host Lyon in the UEFA Champions League on March 17.

The Bianconeri faced rivals Inter Milan in an empty stadium on Sunday in what was the biggest match of the Serie A season until this point:

Plenty of other contests have also taken place behind closed doors.

Other sports had already been hit harder than football prior to Monday's complete lockdown. Several of the biggest one-day cycling races in Europe, including Milan-San Remo and the Strade Bianche, have been postponed or cancelled:

Per the Guardian's latest figures, the coronavirus has infected 9,172 people across Italy so far, leading to 463 deaths.