New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy is likely to announce on Monday that the state will order all of its schools, public and private, to close until further notice to halt the spread of the coronavirus.
Murphy said in a briefing with media on Sunday that an “extended statewide school shutdown is imminent” and is expected be announced at a news conference Monday afternoon, according to NJ.com.
The governor has the authority to shut down school and he said there is a “99 percent certainty” he will do so.
The decision will affect 210,000 students who rely on schools for food and 259,000 students who don’t have access to a device at home to take instruction online, NJ.com reported.
South Orange-Maplewood announced Friday its schools would be closed for at least two weeks.
As of Sunday, New Jersey reported 31 new coronavirus cases, bringing the statewide total to to 98, with two deaths. There is at least one reported case in Maplewood.
Read the full report here. Village Green will update this story.
