With California’s death count from the novel coronavirus rising to 12 Tuesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom said parents should expect schools to be closed for the rest of the school year.
“Don’t anticipate schools are going to open in a week,” Newsom said during a Tuesday afternoon news conference. “Don’t anticipate schools are going to open in a few weeks. I would plan and assume that it’s unlikely that many of these schools, few, if any, will open before the summer break.”
Most California school districts already have closed voluntarily. There was no statewide mandate, as governors in other states ordered. While most districts has scheduled reopen dates in April, Newsom’s pronouncement Tuesday makes that less likely.
About 6.1 million students attend California schools.
About 740 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in the state of California, with 12 deaths.
COVID-19 is the official name of the novel coronavirus that originated in China in December. Symptoms of COVID-19 can include fever, coughing and trouble breathing.
Most people who have it develop only mild symptoms. But some people, usually the elderly and those with other medical complications, develop more severe symptoms, including pneumonia, which can be fatal.
On Monday, San Francisco Mayor London Breed ordered the closure of all businesses that don’t provide essential functions and told residents to stay home except for essential needs. All Bay area counties followed suit.
“Effective at midnight, San Francisco will require people to stay home except for essential needs,” Breed tweeted Monday. “Necessary government functions & essential stores will remain open. These steps are based on the advice of public health experts to slow the spread of #COVID19.”
