COVID-19: Serie A training ban extended until April 13

Italy's Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has banned Serie A clubs from going on to team training until at least April 13 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Italy remains one of the hardest-hit regions due to the disease, and as a result, Serie A's season was also suspended indefinitely last month.

There were reports that Napoli and Lazio were planning to return to training.

But as Italy has extended its lockdown until April 13, Italy's PM ruled out any team sessions taking place during that time.

"Actual measures are extended until April 13. We know we are asking another effort, another sacrifice. We have to understand one thing - if we stop following the rules or reduce these measures, we will waste our efforts," Goal.com quoted Italy's PM Conte as saying.

"The only news introduced is about athletes' training sessions. The training sessions are not allowed in clubs' headquarters. It doesn't mean athletes cannot train themselves, they can do it individually," he added.

Italy's coronavirus death toll increased by 727 to 13,155 over the past 24 hours, and the number of new cases have also surged by 2,937, Angelo Borrelli, the head of the National Civil Protection Department, said on Wednesday.

The total case count, including fatalities and recoveries, has reached 110,400, according to Borrelli.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) had termed coronavirus as a pandemic on March 11.