The outbreak of coronavirus in Italy forced four top-flight matches to be postponed over the weekend, including the clash between Scudetto hopefuls Inter and Sampdoria.

Italy's move came as part of preventative measures against the spread of the coronavirus, officially named COVID-19 which originated in China, after two people died and dozens more reportedly tested positive.

Now, upcoming fixtures across Italy's leagues are in doubt, with Serie A leader Juve scheduled to host Inter in Turin on 2 March (AEDT).

"I don't think that in just one week we'd be able to slow down the contagion so much that we could resume sporting events," Conte said. "We are constantly monitoring the situation and will evaluate. We'll see the evolution of the contagion and evaluate postponing all next week's matches."

Juve is a point clear atop the table after its 2-1 victory away at bottom side SPAL.

Cristiano Ronaldo marked his 1,000th career appearance with a goal, scoring in an 11th consecutive top-flight match – matching a feat previously achieved by Gabriel Batistuta and Fabio Quagliarella.

In-form Lazio was also in action and edged Genoa 3-2 to extend its unbeaten streak to 20 games, while Inter is six points off the pace with a game in hand.