It is not yet clear whether Euro 2020 will be affected by the novel coronavirus outbreak that has struck Italy, one of the 12 host countries, a vice president of European soccer body UEFA said on Tuesday. 

"We are at the waiting stage. We are monitoring country by country, and football must follow the orders of the individual countries," Italian Michele Uva, a member of the UEFA executive committee, told state broadcaster Rai.

"The sporting path will only be closed if the situation gets worse."

Rome, which has not been affected so far, is due to hold three group stage matches and one quarter-final of the Euro 2020 tournament in June and July.

The Italian government has banned sporting events in six regions of the country but has made an exception for Serie A soccer matches which can be played behind closed doors.

Six games are expected to go ahead in empty stadiums over the weekend, including the meeting of Serie A leaders Juventus and third-placed Inter Milan.

"If the data does not give us different indications, it may well be that from March 2 we will not extend the ban on sporting events," sports minister Vincenzo Spadafora told reporters. "We will see how it develops in the next few days."

"But safety and health come before anything else – before a match or before a full stadium," he added.

Meanwhile, Rome will host a Six Nations Rugby Championship match between Italy and England on March 14, with tournament organizers already concerned about the fixture.

Ireland's minister for health Simon Harris also said that the Six Nations match against Italy scheduled for March 7 in Dublin should not go ahead.