The Alabama State Board of Education met Thursday morning, and while no schools have been impacted by the coronavirus, State Superintendent Dr. Eric Mackey acknowledged cases confirmed in states bordering Alabama and shared a new directive regarding employees and sick leave related to COVID-19.

As of Thursday morning, there were no confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Alabama.

Alabama K-12 school employees who test positive for the coronavirus or who have a dependent who tests positive will be asked to stay home for 14 days and will not be charged sick leave, Mackey said.

That directive went to local K-12 school superintendents today in a memo from Mackey. It only applies to confirmed cases of COVID-19, which at the time of the board’s meeting, there were none in Alabama.

“Employees who have not tested positive for COVID-19 but would like to self-isolate due to fears of the outbreak or personal medical concerns,” Mackey wrote, “should take personal or sick leave.”

Regarding local sporting events, Mackey said local school officials are making decisions on a one-by-one basis about which, if any, to postpone or cancel. “We respect your decisions and are monitoring the situation constantly,” he wrote.

Mackey said that guidance could change, but for now, decisions on sporting events are still local.

If a student, teacher or regular volunteer tests positive for the coronavirus, Mackey said, the school will close for 24 to 48 hours to clean the school and to assess next steps in conjunction with the Alabama Department of Public Health.

Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced all Ohio schools, including public, private and charter schools, will close for three weeks at the end of the day on March 16. The state has 1.8 million students in public schools. As of Thursday, the state has confirmed five cases of the coronavirus.

“We have a responsibility to save lives,” DeWine said on Twitter. “We could have waited to close schools, but based on advice from health experts, this is the time to do it.”