Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf has officially announced the closure of all Pennsylvania schools for two weeks Friday afternoon.

With 41 confirmed positive COVID-19 cases in Pennsylvania, officials throughout the state have made earlier announcements about closures regarding Philadelphia Archdiocesan and public schools and all Montgomery County schools.

"First and foremost, my top priority as governor – and that of our education leaders – must be to ensure the health and safety of our students and school communities," Gov. Wolf stated in his official release.

He confirmed that no Pennsylvania school district will be penalized if it fails to meet the 180 day or school hours requirements.

Officials will reevaluate after two weeks whether or not a continued closure is necessary based upon circumstances at that time.

Students in Pennsylvania will still be served meals as schools close over coronavirus concerns, the Pennsylvania Department of Education said on Twitter Thursday.


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THE ILLNESS

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.

WHAT WE DON’T KNOW

The Department of Health is giving few details about patients. It is not saying how many samples it is testing, how many negative tests it has taken or how many people it is monitoring under quarantine. It is also not saying where precisely someone traveled when they were exposed.

At least three medical personnel who treated people who tested positive have also been quarantined, newspapers have reported.

The map below illustrates where confirmed cases of the COVID-19 virus exist across the world. See mobile version here.

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