All public and private schools across Ohio will close for three weeks, Gov. Mike DeWine announced on Thursday, making the state the first to take the dramatic step of shutting down its entire K-12 system to stem the spread of the coronavirus.

"We are announcing today that children in the state will have an extended spring break of 3 weeks," DeWine said on Twitter . "We will review it afterwards. This will begin on Monday."

"We will continue to consult with educators on this," he continued. "We have to take this action. We have to do everything we can to slow down the spread of this virus."

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The decision to close all K-12 schools in the state – traditional public schools and public charter schools as well as parochial and private schools – marks the most aggressive action to date by a state to stem the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced Wednesday the closure of Seattle Public Schools for a minimum of 14 days, and Northshore School District just outside the city has been closed since March 5. But no other governor has taken statewide action until now.

The decision to not entirely shutter schools is largely an equity issue, with state and school superintendents weighing the risk of communal spread in schools against the knowledge that many students don't have a parent who can afford to stay at home with them. And for more than 22 million children, schools provide free breakfast and lunch – sometimes their only meals of the day.

"We know this will impact families," DeWine said. "We understand the sacrifice this will entail, but this is the right thing to do."

It's unclear how many other states will follow suit. A new economic analysis published Thursday found that a one-month closure of all U.S. schools and daycares could cost the economy more than $50 billion, or roughly 0.2% of total U.S. gross domestic product.

In the immediate aftermath of the announcement, major education stakeholders in the state appeared to coalesce around the governor's decision, including the Ohio Education Association, which represents 122,000 teachers.