Pritzker Orders All Illinois Schools to Close

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has ordered the closing of every school in the state starting Tuesday, amid concerns over the spread of coronavirus. The order is that the schools will remain closed until March 30.

Pritzker announced his decision Friday. Statewide, nearly 2 million students will not be returning to the classroom for two weeks.

Other states and large cities took similar steps to shut down schools this week over COVID-19 concerns.

Illinois officials also reported an additional 14 cases of people who had tested positive for the virus on Friday, bringing the state's total number of cases to 46.

None of those cases is in extreme southern Illinois.