Gov. Phil Murphy said he is likely to announce Monday he’s ordering all of New Jersey’s schools — public and private — be shut down to minimize exposure to the coronavirus.

Murphy said during a telephone briefing with reporters Sunday that an “extended statewide school shutdown is imminent" and he expects to “lay out” the plans it at a 2 p.m. news conference Monday afternoon.

State Education Commissioner Lamont Repollet said officials have not decided for how long schools would be closed.

As of 6 p.m. Sunday night, 602 of the state’s 672 public school districts and charter schools have already had closings amid the outbreak, according to state Education Department data.

Bergen County, New Jersey’s most populous county and the hardest hit by the virus so far, announced late week that all 75 of its public school districts would close and move to online learning.

Murphy’s order would mandate the rest close, affecting millions of children across the Garden State.

The state will communicate with school officials and other leaders through Monday morning to “ensure a singular message," the governor said.

Murphy said he wants to make sure school officials, parents, and students have “clear guidance and are prepared for the weeks ahead.”

Officials did not provide other details about the plan, such as whether students or school staff will have to report Monday or if staff members will continue to get paid. It was also unclear if this just applies to just K-12 schools or colleges, as well.

The governor’s office told NJ Advance Media more details will be provided Monday.

Murphy clarified that he has the authority to shut both public and private schools in the state and is “expected to exercise” that right.

The governor said it’s a “99 percent certainty” he’ll announce the closings Monday. He said he’s leaving 1 percent open because the decision has a lot of moving parts — including accounting for 210,000 students who rely on schools for food and 259,000 students who don’t have access to a device at home to take instruction online.

Many schools have been putting together plans for “distance learning” — in which students can do work from home, including online instruction.

The state Assembly is set to vote Monday on a package of coronavirus-related bills, including ones that would count any distance learning toward the state’s 180-day school year requirement and another that would allow students in the state eligible for free or reduced-price breakfast and lunch plans to keep receiving meals when schools are closed.

The word of New Jersey’s likely closures came on the same day New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced New York City’s school system, with more than 1.1 million students, would close as early as Tuesday. The shutdown affects the city’s nearly 1,900 public schools. Many private schools in the city already have closed.

New Jersey has at least 98 positive coronavirus cases as of Sunday, state officials said. That includes two deaths.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01.

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