LANSING — The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services announced Thursday, March 12, that 10 new adults have tested presumptive positive in the state for COVID-19, also known as coronavirus.

Upon the discovery of the new cases, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer ordered the closure of all K-12 school buildings, public, private and boarding starting Monday, March 16 until Monday, April 6.

“This is a necessary step to protect our kids, our families, and our overall public health,” Whitmer said. “I am working with partners across state government to ensure educators, parents, and students have the support they need during this time, and to ensure our children who rely on school for meals have access to food.

"I know this will be a tough time, but we’re doing this to keep the most people we can safe. I urge everyone to make smart choices during this time and to do everything they can to protect themselves and their families.”

The cases were discovered in Ingham, Kent, Montcalm, Oakland, St. Clair and Washtenaw counties. Prior to Thursday, two cases in Oakland and Wayne counties were announced earlier in the week. The new cases bring the total for the state to 12.

“We continue to urge Michiganders to take precautions to prevent the spread COVID-19 in our state,” said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive and chief deputy for health. “We have to proactively implement community mitigation strategies that will help prevent the spread of the disease, and particularly protect our most vulnerable Michiganders.”

The tested individuals had clinical specimens collected and sent to the MDHHS Bureau of Laboratories, where the specimens tested presumptive positive for coronavirus. Those specimens will be sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for confirmation testing.

The cases include:

An adult female from Ingham County with history of travel on a cruise.Two adult females from Kent County and one adult male, all with history of international travel.An adult female from Montcalm with history of international travel.Two adult males from Oakland County; one with no travel history and one with domestic travel.An adult male from St. Clair County with history of domestic travel.One adult female and one adult male from Washtenaw County; one with history of domestic travel and one with history of international travel.

Whitmer and Khaldun addressed the state on Thursday evening. Khaldun said that while there are only 12 confirmed cases so far, the number will likely grow.

"I expect there are more cases that we just don't know about," she said.

The MDHHS and other organizations are recommending the following steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19:

Washing your hands with soap and water.Avoiding touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.Covering your mouth and nose with a tissue or upper sleeve when coughing or sneezing.Avoiding contact with people who are sick.Staying home if you are sick and contact your healthcare provider.Right now, there are no additional precautions recommended for the general public in the United States.

COVID-19 symptoms include fever, cough and shortness of breath.

Updates will be posted to Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.