TOMS RIVER, NJ — The Toms River Regional School District is dismissing classes early on Friday to continue preparations in case the district is ordered to close due to the new coronavirus.

The early dismissal is to allow for continued cleaning and sanitizing in the buildings to help prevent the virus from being spread in the Toms River schools.

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The state Department of Education ordered all districts in the state to prepare for the possibility of a closure due to COVID-19, which is caused by a member of the coronavirus family that's a close cousin to the SARS and MERS viruses that have caused outbreaks in the past. There were 29 cases of COVID-19 in New Jersey as of Thursday. One man, from Bergen County, has died. Read more: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know

