ATLANTA — Gov. Brian Kemp has ordered all public schools to close between March 18–31.
The governor signed the executive order Monday that all public elementary, secondary, and post-secondary public schools in the state should close.
"This measure is critical to reducing local transmission in communities across our state, and I ask Georgians to continue to follow best practices -- washing their hands regularly, isolating the elderly and chronically ill, and avoiding large events if possible -- in the days and weeks ahead," Kemp said in a news release.
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Most metro school districts had already shut down over the spread of coronavirus, but many of the districts were only going to close for two weeks.
This announcement came almost at the same time as the University System of Georgia announced it was moving to online instruction for the rest of the semester.
All 26 state schools are also closing residence halls, with some exceptions for students who are unable to go home or find housing elsewhere.