Gov. Gretchen Whitmer late Thursday ordered all K-12 schools in Michigan to close Monday through April 5 as the state battles the coronavirus. The order covers traditional public, charter, private and boarding schools in the state.

“This is a necessary step to protect our kids, our families and our overall public health,” Whitmer said in a statement. “I am working with partners across state government to ensure educators, parents, and students have the support they need during this time, and to ensure our children who rely on school for meals have access to food. I know this will be a tough time, but we’re doing this to keep the most people we can safe. I urge everyone to make smart choices during this time and to do everything they can to protect themselves and their families.”

Michigan State Superintendent Michael Rice said the decision had to happen.

“Closing our K-12 school buildings is the responsible choice that will minimize the risk of exposure for children, educators, and families and mitigate the spread of coronavirus,” Rice said. “The Department of Education will continue to work closely with our partners in state government to help our students and educators in each school district get through this time. This is about protecting the most people in Michigan.”

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services announced late Thursday 10 more adults tested presumptive positive for coronavirus. This brings the state total of known COVID-19 cases to 12.

More:Coronavirus school closings: Ohio, Maryland become first states to shut all K-12 schools

Whitmer announced the move at a late Thursday night press conference. Michigan joined Ohio and Maryland, which have made similar moves.

"We have faced and overcome many obstacles in our state's history," Whitmer said. "As the chief executive of this state it is my responsibility to make these decisions and keep our state safe."

She said the three-week adjournment aligns with many school district's spring breaks, so only two weeks of class will be missed. She did not answer questions about whether the school year would be extended.

Rice said he knows many children in Michigan rely on school for food.

"We will be working with our local schools to make sure they can get it," he said.

More:Coronavirus concerns close Washtenaw county school districts through April 6

More:Detroit, Livonia and Trenton join list of schools closed Friday

The AFT Michigan, a teacher's union, said it supported the move.

""While this is unfortunate news, we want to thank Gov. Whitmer for taking action," AFT Michigan President David Hecker said in a statement. "This health crisis deserves all necessary precautions to protect students, school employees and families across Michigan. This is a time to come together as schools and communities and do what we can to help one another and protect public health."

On Thursday, school districts across the state began to close on their own. The first to announce long closures came in Washtenaw County.

The state's decision marks the first long-term closure of schools in Michigan amid the outbreak. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced earlier that all Ohio schools would take a three-week break.

"These are sobering days for all of us in confronting the COVID-19 pandemic," Ann Arbor schools said in a statement. "We understand that this situation is likely to impact almost every aspect of our lives, and we know we must work together like never before to help each other as individuals, neighbors and as a community."

Disadvantaged families who rely the most on schools for stable services, such as meals and access to learning materials, will be some of the most negatively affected.

“Wide-scale learning loss could be among the biggest impacts coronavirus has on children in America,” said Betsy Zorio, vice president of U.S. programs at Save the Children, an international children's charity. “With an unprecedented number of school closures already announced and many more expected, ensuring that children can continue to learn is essential.”

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced Thursday that all K-12 public, charter and private schools in Ohio will be shut down for three weeks starting Monday to try to contain the spread of the virus.

Shortly after the Ohio announcement, Maryland's superintendent announced the state's schools would close for two weeks starting Monday.

Those announcements came on the heels of Seattle Public Schools becoming the first major metropolitan school district to cancel classes to contain the spread of the virus. The district, which serves about 54,000 students, announced Wednesday it would be closed for at least two weeks.

So far, more than 10,000 schools across the country have closed or are planning to close because of the virus, affecting about 4.9 million children, according to the latest count by Education Week magazine. That did not include Michigan.

USA TODAY reporter Erin Richards contributed to this story. Contact David Jesse: 313-222-8851 or djesse@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter: @reporterdavidj