Parents will have to cancel work to stay home with their kids. Kids who normally eat at school won’t be able to. School calendars will be disrupted.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer acknowledged all these things as she announced her order to close all K-12 school buildings in the state March 16, to be re-opened April 6. But it’s a move she said was necessary to protect public health.

“This is going to be hard. But we’re going to get through this,” Whitmer said in a press conference late Thursday night.

Related: All Michigan schools to close as coronavirus spreads, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announces

The announcement came after public health officials confirmed Michigan now has 12 presumptive positive tests for coronavirus, up from the first two announced on Tuesday, when the governor declared a state of emergency.

“We had two cases yesterday, today we have 12. We expect more to come,” Whitmer said.

Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Chief Deputy for Health and Chief Medical Executive Dr. Joneigh Khaldun said she expects there to be more cases, and expects there to be community spread. As for the number, “I expect that there are more that we just don’t know about yet,” she said.

State Superintendent Michael Rice said it was a “responsible decision” to mitigate the spread of the virus and keep people safe, but acknowledged it would be challenging.

“There are many children in Michigan that rely on our schools for meals. We will be working with our local school districts to provide guidance to help children access food during this time,” Rice said.

Whitmer said the closure came out of an “abundance of caution," and wasn’t a decision she made lightly.

“I know this will be a tough time for our parents and educators, and I urge businesses to do everything they can to support employees at this time. Some parents will need to stay home with their children, and not every parent will have the ability to do so. Not every parent has paid leave, though I think they should,” Whitmer said, encouraging employers to step up and provide help if their employees need it.

She said she believed school employees should continue to be paid.

David Hecker, president of AFT Michigan, released a statement after the governor’s announcement.

“While this is unfortunate news, we want to thank Gov. Whitmer for taking action," Hecker said.

"This health crisis deserves all necessary precautions to protect students, school employees and families across Michigan. We will be communicating with our members and elected and public health officials throughout this process to ensure it goes as smoothly as possible. This is a time to come together as schools and communities and do what we can to help one another and protect public health.”

Peter Spadafore, associate executive director of the Michigan Association of Superintendents & Administrators, said in a statement: “MASA stands behind the governor’s order and we will work to ensure that districts are supported during this public health crisis. It is a responsible decision to keep our communities safe to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and protect public health. This was not an easy decision, but it’s the right decision.”

Whitmer encouraged people to wash their hands thoroughly, cover their mouths when they cough or sneeze and stay home if they feel sick.

Coronavirus symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days after exposure to the virus. They include fever, cough and shortness of breath. For most, the symptoms are mild, but it poses a serious danger to others.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the virus has sickened 1,215 people and resulted in 36 deaths, nationally.

Whitmer said Michiganders are tough and would get through the school closures. School are slated to re-start April 6, but Whitmer said that date could be re-evaluated as the situation evolves.

“Michiganders are tough, and we stick together,” Whitmer said.

“Michiganders are some of the most resilient people in the nation and around the world, for that matter,” Whitmer said.

“We have faced and overcome many hardships throughout our state history. if we take appropriate and resp actions we can mitigate the spread of this virus and save lives.”

PREVENTION TIPS

Michigan’s State Emergency Operations Center is coordinating state-government resources and the response to the coronavirus spread. It has shared the following tips:

What you can do to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory diseases:

For statewide and national information on the virus, visit Michigan.gov/Coronavirus or CDC.gov/Coronavirus.

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