The Los Angeles Unified School District and San Diego school districts will close starting March 16 because of the coronavirus threat, officials announced Friday.
The decision was announced by superintendents of both districts, which together serve 750,000 students.
The are the latest in a growing number of districts to close up and down the state.
A wave of closures and postponements spanning everything from government offices to cultural events and sports followed Gov. Gavin Newsom’s call this week for cancellation of all non-essential gatherings of 250 people or more.
A half-dozen school districts in Ventura County announced temporary closures following similar decisions by several Northern California districts, including the San Francisco public school system.
The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District canceled classes Friday and Monday for a thorough cleaning of campuses after learning someone with children in its schools was exposed to the virus.
Disneyland and its California Adventure park planned to close from Saturday through the end of the month and Knott’s Berry Farm followed suit. Universal Studios Hollywood said it would close Saturday and reopen March 28.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.
The vast majority of people recover from the new virus. According to the World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover. More than 80,000 people in China have been diagnosed with the coronavirus. More than 61,000 have recovered.
